The Time Thats Left
by Thegoldenlock
Summary: KaiXTyson YAOI. The Bladebreakers has always taken life for granted but when the hero of the group, Tyson ,suddenly falls ill their safe bubble explodes. But Kai, who has seen death before, suddenly wonders what he could have done different.
1. Life passes by too quickly

**An; Hello everybody. This will be my first beyblade yaoi fanfiction so please be nice. ****I´ve thought of posting it for a while and I hope you´ll enjoy it.**

**Warning; yaoi, some curses and violence. **

**Genre; tradgedy/ romance**

**Pairing; KaiXTyson. **

**Disclaimer; I don't own beyblade or the poems I´ll use in this story. Applauds to Takao Aoki and the poem writers.

* * *

****.:The Time That's Left:.**

_Tomorrow will come and it could be your last,  
Don't waste time trying to fix the past,  
Just enjoy each day as if it were your last,  
For that day will come and you life will be in the past_.

* * *

**The **spring has once again reached Japan and the heavily habited country's sakura trees are in full bloom just as last year, and the year before that. The pinkish white petals float in the air as the slightly cold breeze picks them up for a ride through one of Tokyo´s most beloved parks. The area is surrounded by large office buildings but when you once enter the park you'll forget about the stress and enjoy the beautiful greenery it offers.

The sun is slowly rising at the horizon and the large shadows of the sakura trees darken the ground a bit but the source of light is just enough for a five person team to start practising what they love the most; Beyblade.

The Bladebreakers, the world champion team has not lost their passion for the sport even though the years have passed. Their days of playing just for fun are now over since all of them have turned 18 or over, they have entered a new league with new, stronger, more mature and older opponents.

Tyson, the heroine of the story, has grown a lot through out the years and has now left that over used baseball cap behind. His blackish blue hair is a little longer and thinner than before and his face has got a mature feeling over it. As mature as Tyson can be but his _damn_ cockiness is still there though. He wears a simple loose t-shirt together with a pair of light blue jeans and pair of red baskets covers his feet. The 18 year old laughs as he speaks with Max, one of his best buddies.

Max the always friendly half Japanese half American is as friendly as ever. His ocean blue eyes are sparkling as he laughs at something silly Tyson just said, he runs a hand through his short blond hair. Yes, Max has cut of his fluffy blond locks and is now having a shorter and more sophisticated haircut. His cute freckles are gone and in exchange he got a pair jawbones that frame his face. He wears a rather tight armless shirt together with a pair of dark blue jeans who looks torn but really, ha bought them yesterday.

Kenny, the little smart kid no one really remembers from before has grown into a rather handsome looking young man with traces of a beard on his chin. His brown hair is fluffy as always but those large glasses that used to decorate his head are now history, the Chief uses contacts. The sight of his green eyes can make any girl look at him a little longer. His nerdy attitude is still there though, but that's the Kenny that we like. He wears a simple white shirt with a red necktie hanging loosely around his neck, not properly tied, with a pair of beige trousers. He scolds Tyson for his naughty mouth but can't help but laugh; Max does thumbs up and grins.

Rei, the team´s personal chef, came back to Japan just some days ago and everybody was happy to meet him. The Chinese has his long hair loose instead of tied up in that ponytail from before and amazingly, the hair doesn't bothering him even though it's almost touching the ground as he walks. If you thought that Rei looked nice before well, lets say that is nothing compared to what he looks like now. He's more well-built than before and it shows as he wears that tight Chinese shirt together with a pair of dark baggy pants. He stands there smiling a little at the others conversation, but as the neko-jin that he's; he yawns tiredly. It would be nice to have slept some more…

And now at last; Hiwatari Kai the famous ice prince. He stands leaning against a tree with his arms folded over his muscular chest, the pose we're_ so_ familiar with. The Russian wears a pair of baggy, black jeans with a lot of chains stuck to his pockets. A pair of high, leather boots makes them look even baggier and gives him a dark and dangerous look. He wears a tight grey t-shirt to that and a lone silver necklace hangs around his neck. His two toned blue hair is in a wild and fierce haircut and those red piercing eyes are as cold as ever. He looks at his team for a moment with a frown on his face when Tyson tries to force Kenny to submit to him. Kai sighs.

And you might wonder; where's Hilary and Daichi? The girl went to England after school and is now studying to become something big, like an actress or a singer. The gang misses her complaining, bad cooking skills and attitude a lot but the letters she sends them once a month is enough to make them not to. She'll arrive in Japan just in time for the championships. Daichi has gone home to his mother to sort things out. He felt that he has been away from his father´s grave for too long and misses everything back there. Daichi is also studying to become the next Beyblade DJ a new dream he got after wining the championships the last time.

Nothing has changed from back then, not a thing. Kai pushes himself to his feet and walks over to his team, making sure that the training today will start before the sun has reached the middle of the sky.

* * *

**Mr Dickenson, **as the chairman that he's, he invited the Bladebreakers along with other well know teams as the Demolition Boys, All Stars, the Majestics, The Saint shields etc to compete against each other in the upcoming world championships. It's the first time young adults will compete in an official championship and he believes that it'll make the sport more available to people over the age of 18. _Beyblade-ing doesn´t have an age limit _is his statement and many others agrees with him.

So Kai who still is the team captain will do anything to get Bladebreakers into shape till the big event. The new training schedule is what you can call extreme but no one dares to complain, well no one but Tyson.

"C'mon Kai! I've done my push ups this time so I would honestly deserve some rest!"

"Are you already tired Tyson? Rei has done the double amount but I can't hear him complaining." Kai answers coldly.

"Tyson, quit whining." Max tells him with a friendly smile. "You know you'll only make things worse."

"Yeah, Kai is right Tyson. If you want to win you'll have to suffer a little; it's logical." Kenny states from his place at the park bench fingering at his loyal laptop. "And by the way, I've heart that Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys are going through some tough training in Siberia… If you want to beat that… I guess you can figure it out by yourself, Tyson." He tells them in a I-know-it-all tone.

Tyson groans as he falls to the ground, not having the power to push his body up and down anymore. The Japanese kendo master sighs as he looks up at the sky pondering over how hard it has become to do those 100 push ups he used to finish in no time just some month ago. _I guess I've been slacking too much… _He touches his forehead as a slight pain there makes him frown.

"Well I don't have as long arms as Rei so it's_ logical _that I can't push as much as him and Max, honestly, it can't get much worse that this, Kai is real slave driver. Kenny, we are not Tala and we don't have any ice cold landscape or ice mountain close by so stop compare us to them, ok?" He answers ironically with a hint of irritation in his voice.

Kenny smiles a little and types something down at the computer; his green eyes are glued to the screen. Max laughs loudly while Kai just looks at Tyson with a cold look. Those red eyes moves up to Tyson´s hand at his forehead. Rei sits down next to Kenny at the bench with a faked angry expression on his face.

"My arms aren't _that_ long…" Rei mutters, his irritated face turns into a grinning one in a matter of seconds.

The team trains until dinner time witch Tyson´s sensitive stomach pointed out loudly and went home to the dojo so Rei and Gramps can prepare something to eat. Gramps is really hyper even though he's getting older and older; he's in his late eighties now. A thing that scares Tyson is that he still used their family katana to chop the vegetables in his age, what if he accidentally chops off a hand? Tyson sits down at the table, groaning a little at his sore body and the raging headache. Max looks at him a little worriedly.

"T-man, what's wrong?"

Tyson flinches when Max uses Gramps old nickname, a name that he doesn't really enjoy. But he shakes his head, shaking it off.

"Just a headache, it'll be gone soon."

Tyson didn't know what it was back then but whatever it's it doesn't fade away. The small headache is always there in the back of his head just behind his right eye. But the teen doesn't bother to go to the hospital since he strongly believes that it's just a headache and will pass. Or that he got a cold during one of Kai´s training seasons. He curses the enigma under his breath.

* * *

**The **days passed by. The once pink sakura trees are now a little greener and the petals don't fall off by the wind as easy anymore. The wind warmer and the sun can some days be extremely hot, especially in Tokyo. Summer isn't far away now. The sun has just risen at the horizon, and the morning birds are singing cheerfully.

Everything is as it always is in the dojo at the morning. Rei is the first to wake up and he's quick to take a shower, get dress and start preparing breakfast while singing in Chinese quietly. Rei has always been a morning person, well, when he gets out of the bed anyways. A cat would never say no to an extra hour lying under warm sheets… He has once again got the habit of preparing a lot of food since he knows that Tyson eat double portions, sometimes even triple, so he breaks another egg at the edge of the frying pan.

Kai is the second to wake up that Saturday morning and he walks out into the kitchen and sits down by the table in silence. Rei gives him a nod as a greeting since he's well aware of that Kai doesn't like to talk during the morning and it's best to stay on his good side so…Rei´s quiet. Kai accepts the cup of coffee his team mate offers him and takes a slow sip of the warm liquid. The Russian doesn't pay Rei much attention, he's in deep thoughts.

"Good morning." Kenny murmurs as he enters the kitchen fully dressed whit his laptop under his right arm.

"Good morning Chief." Rei answers while turning one egg.

Kenny sits down at the table at the chair across to Kai´s. The genius doesn't bother to waste time so he starts up his computer and the sounds of fingers pushing buttons breaks the silence. Kai gives the younger man a glance but doesn't utter a word; he takes another sip of his drink and lowers it to the table.

"What's the schedule for today?" Kenny asks Kai, his green eyes never leaving the screen.

"Hn… The beach and a lot of running." Kai replies.

Kenny´s fingers stop to push buttons for a second and that little signal makes Kai smirk, he is well aware of that Kenny dislikes running and running on the beach is like running in mud. The smart kid in the group pretends to not care and continues typing. Max saves Kenny a little as he also enters the kitchen, still wearing his pyjamas. He shields his mouth from view as he yawns loudly.

"Gooood morning." He tells them the ´good´ gets a little too long because of the yawn.

"Max, can't you bring Tyson?" Kenny asks him. "He can't sleep in everyday. Not now when we have a big event coming up."

"I tried." Max answers. "But he just groaned and turned away...that lazy…"

"Did you try that chilli trick again?" Rei asks from the kitchen.

The Chinese arrives and lower plates filled with eggs, bacon and toast down to the table. The team can still remember that one time during the Asian championships when Tyson was sleeping in just like now. They tried everything but chilli was the only thing that made him open his eyes…for two whole minutes. Nice old times.

"No, I didn't… I wanted to spare him that pain. Too bad Hilary isn't here; she was awesome at getting him out of bed!" Max says in a cheery voice.

"Yeah too bad." Kenny agrees.

"Kai why won't you try? I bet Tyson will panic if you tell him about the schedule today." Rei suggests.

Kai gives Rei the famous ´glare of death´ gaze but pushes himself out of his chair and heads toward Tyson´s room. He really hates it when he has to wake Tyson up or that's what the others think. Secretly he likes to see the younger's panicked expression when he wakes up by being drenched by water, or that time when he teased him by pulling away the blanket over and over again. Yes, Kai likes to see Tyson suffer. The enigma smirks as he opens the door but the smirk fades as he regards Tyson lying there on the floor with a pained expression on his face.

"Tyson?"

The teen doesn't react at the sound of his voice so Kai approaches him slowly, his red eyes never leaving Tyson´s face. He kneels down beside the Japanese young man and taps him on the shoulder rather roughly. A deep groan leaves Tyson´s lips at their contact and Kai flinches by the sound, he withdraws his hand. _Was that…a groan of pain? _A pair of hazelnut eyes flutter open for a second, to close shut a moment later. Tyson frowns as he touches his forehead gently. Kai pretends that he has seen nothing; he pretends to not have noticed.

"Wake up, training at the beach in five minuets."

"WHAT?" Tyson sits up yelling loudly but Kai notices the sudden pain in his eyes as he adds. "Ouch!"

But he doesn't mention it, why, he doesn't know. Tyson can exaggerate things into a whole new level than it is in reality so he's no sure if this is real or just one of his many tricks to skip practise. Once Tyson had tried to pretend to be sick by dotting red spots on his face using one of Hilary´s lipsticks, another time he swallowed some pens for the blackboard…It didn't take long for everyone to see through his tricks. The enigma smirks at Tyson, like he always does before dragging him out of the bed.

"Get dressed."

And he leaves.

* * *

**Some **days later when the team is sitting at the table eating did something unexpected happen. The gang eats like usual, Max puts mayo/mustard on his newly made noodles and eats quickly using his chopsticks. Rei enjoys a cup of green, Japanese tea in silence. Kenny chews on a slice of meat and swallows the food with a glass of ice cold water. Kai sits there in silence regarding Tyson´s untouched plate full of fried chicken and rise, the always hungry heroine hasn't even eaten one bit of his meal. Something is wrong. Kai´s red eyes move over his team mate and he notices that familiar frown on his face, the frown that has appeared a lot these days. Tyson's brown eyes look different.

"Hey T-man, why are you not eating?" Max asks Tyson before Kai gets the chance to do it.

Tyson snaps out of his daze and looks up at his blonde friend.

"Eh… well. I've lost my appetite. I'm not hungry."

Max´s blue eyes widen a fraction at the answer. Kenny lowers his glass of water and turns his gaze toward Tyson; no one can believe what he's telling them. The last time Tyson lost his appetite was during the American championships when he ate too much and was forced to skip his match…Kai folds his arms over his chest and glances in Tyson´s direction he can't help but feel a growing concern for the younger beyblader. But he shrugs it off, he's the captain and it's the captain's duty to take care of the team.

"Don't tell me you finally decided to follow Kenny´s advice and go on a diet?" Rei asks him in a teasing tone.

"NEVER!" Tyson shouts a little offended. "Rei I thought you know about my feelings toward food! I'm just not…hungry that's all." He explains with a grin on his face.

"Too bad." Kenny tells him. "A diet would only do you good, Tyson."

Tyson gives Kenny his tongue and a grimace before he leaves the kitchen to put his plate into the washing machine. Kenny, Max and Rei continues eating like nothing has happened but a strange and cold feeling forces Kai to regard the teen as he moves away. It was years since he jumped over a meal, Kai is well aware of that, but s small nagging thought in his mind tells him that Tyson is just joking. That he just wants to have an excuse to skip practise later that same day. Kai´s crismon orbs linger on Tyson for some more seconds before he focus on his own food once again.

The next day, Tyson was the Tyson they all recognise again; his appetite was back and he ate like a horse. The concern they all felt before faded away slowly. The days passed and the incident was forgotten…until…

* * *

**It's **one cold night, and the chilly wind connects with Kai´s face as it enters the room through the half open window. He lies there sleeping with a peaceful expression on his pale face; his blue face paintings are erased. A sudden bump makes the young man stir to at last open his eyes wondering what disturbed his sleep.

Deep snoring tells him that the others are still asleep but one empty bed takes him off guard; Tyson is not there. Max murmurs something about his mom Judy as he turns around and hugs his pillow. Kai frowns at the sight; he has never liked Judy. He believes that the woman only uses her son to her advantage and meets him when she wants to, not when Max wants to. Kai really hates when the blond is down because of her, of course he would never admit it to the others.

Another bump interrupts his thoughts and the enigma gets out of bed, silently heading towards the source of sound. He walks through the dark hallway using his hands to locate the way so he won't have to turn on the light that probably would wake the others. His body tenses as a rather quiet sound escapes from the closed bathroom, it's like the one inside tries to hold down the sounds but is failing completely. Kai´s eyes narrow as he hears a familiar voice cursing in there, coughing and the toilet flushing. An eerie feeling invades his stomach, a feeling he can't understand completely. He reacts quickly and starts to knock on the bathroom door violently.

"Tyson! What the hell are you doing in there!?"

The Russian hears how the other curses loudly probably because of being interrupted so suddenly. The toilet flushes one again and after some seconds, Tyson unlocks the door and opens it slowly.

"What's your problem?" He asks Kai in an irritated voice. "Aren't I allowed to pee by myself anymore?"

Kai registers the forced tone in Tyson´s voice and sees straight through him, he was puking. Tyson seems to notice it and his eyes flicker nervously for a moment before he glares at Kai angrily. He's just about to say something when Kai grabs him by the arm and pushes him against the wall, trapping him. Tyson gasps as his back hits the wall rather hard, he stares up at Kai but something in his eyes seems to be different.

"You were throwing up." Kai states coldly.

"Why do you care?" He growls, struggling to get out of Kai´s grasp.

"Why do you struggle?" He ask harshly, he doesn't like how Tyson reacts, it's almost as he's trying to hide something. "I'm your captain Tyson, I've to care even if I don't want to."

Tyson has no chance to break free from Kai´s iron hold. Tyson might be able to beat Kai in the dish sometimes but when it comes to physical force he has no chance against the well-built Russian. A pair of hands grabs his arms to pry him off but it's no use; he's stuck. Tyson stops struggling for a while and notices how close Kai really are. He feels his hot breath on his face. He turns away a little embarrassed but Kai doesn't seem to feel uneasy at all, his coolness bothers the Japanese.

"I just have this headache…it's nothing." Tyson admits at last.

And everything crashes down at Kai. He remembers how Tyson complained about a headache a month ago… how he touched his forehead with a pained expression, he also recalls how the teen lost his appetite a couple of times, also frowning painfully. He looks Tyson straight in the eye. _Maybe he isn't playing around. What if he's…really sick? _Something about this thought creates a cold sensation in Kai´s chest.

"A simple headache won't make you puke." Kai tells him. "What's wrong with you, Tyson?"

Kai looses his hold for a second and Tyson is quick to use that to his advantage, he pushes away the others arms and breaks free.

"I said, it's nothing!"

"What´s happenin´ here, dudes?" A sleepy voice suddenly utters.

Gramps stands there in the doorway dressed in his pyjamas, looking at them with tired eyes. The two young men turn around and stare at the old kendo maser with tense expressions but due to his tiredness, he doesn't notice. Tyson forces a smile to his lips as he approaches his old man, pulling him away from the bathroom.

"You know I really needed to pee but Kai …"

Kai doesn't move an inch as the two walks away from him. But his red, fierce eyes are fixed on Tyson's back.

* * *

**Some **weeks later the team was once again training for the upcoming championship, like they always does these days. Some might think that they lack variation in their lives, but hell, they're bladers so it's rather logic that they have to train. Kenny has discovered a rather huge flaw in their defences and is showing them a new and improved beyblade to state his worries.

"This is the new prototype, so try it out. But I must warn you, it's not easy to control. I've tried."

"Piece of cake … for a real champion, that is." Tyson replies cockily as he takes it from Kenny. "Let me try."

"No, let me." Max grabs it and puts it in his launcher. "Don't think you'll get all the fun, Tyson."

"Hah, fight me then Max!"

"Hey, what about me?" Rei complains.

It doesn't take long till they're all soaked in sweat, panting slightly. Kai tells them that they'll take a ten minuet break and the gang split up. The captain walks over to the dish and stares down at that beyblade who no one can master yet. A frown gets visible on his tattooed, pale face. Kai, who always desired total perfection, can't seem to find a way to balance up the wobbly tool. He squeezes his Dranzer blade firmly in the palm of his right hand, glancing down at it. Sometimes he finds himself missing the intense power he possessed when he fought in Russia, but his new goal is to obtain that power again, this time without Black Dranzer, Boris and his grand father.

A sudden sound behind him interrupts his thoughts and the Russian turns around to face Tyson. The Japanese young man walks toward him with a trembling smile on his lips, a smile that seems forced. Kai can't help but raise an eye brow at the sight. The smile fades away from those lips…The Japanese young man stares at him with a really strange expression and the emptiness there creates a shiver that runs down Kai´s back. Those brown eyes of his are misty, like fog is swirling up behind his eyelashes and his gaze suddenly gets unfocused.

"Tyson?" Kai tries to attract the others focus once again.

But Tyson's doesn't react; he just stands there staring at him. The silence between them gets electric as more questions build up inside of Kai´s mind; _What´s wrong with him? Why is he…? _But Tyson's knees buckle suddenly and he falls forward towards the ground in a lifeless way.

"Tyson!!" Kai shouts in a worried, high pitched uncharacteristic voice.

But the world champion doesn't hit the cold, dirty ground as, instead a couple of strong and protective arms circle around his waist and he's pressed against a hard chest. Kai´s red eyes are wide and his expression looks haunted as he presses the younger blader against him desperately. He looks at his friend and the misty gaze that's fixed on him freaks him out; it's as if he's there but still not present.

"Tyson, can you hear me?"

Kai tries to attract Tyson´s attention but he gets no reaction. A pair of crimson eyes widens as a low but hear able groan of pain leaves the other's slightly parted lips. Brown eyes flutter close slowly.

"Call a fucking ambulance!!" He shouts loudly. "Hurry!"

The group that recently got back from their break cranes their neck as the high pitched demand reaches their ears. Kenny´s eyes widen at the sight and his body seems to become paralyzed of shock. But Rei, who's the one that's not grabbed by panic, pulls up his cell phone quickly and dials the emergency number. Max takes a wobbly step back as he regards how his best buddy lies there in Kai´s arms in what seems to be a lifeless state; he holds his hand to his face.

_**The loud sound of sirens… **_

"Tyson hang in there!" Max´s scared voice tells him.

_**People with **__**white clothes…**_

"He just collapsed…" Kenny explains.

_**A needle**__** piercing his arm…**_

"Tyson…" A voice calls out to him. _…Kai…._

_**Darkness. **_

…_What is happening to me?

* * *

_**An; Hope you liked the first chapter. It was really fun to describe the Bladebreakers as older and more mature; I hope you liked my versions of 18+ characters. ****Other characters like Demoliton boys, All Stars etc might appear in here later… I look forward to design their older versions! Tala (drool…) **

**This story is kind of dedicated to people who have lost someone close to them, or been through a similar pain. Sometimes I feel as if there's always someone around you who has lost a parent, brother or a cat. The pain is there no matter what you've lost. **

**Than you for reading this. **


	2. The curse

**AN; thank you everyone for the reviews, alerts and faves! Arigatou. A special than****ks to Sparkleshadowcat who read this chapter before I posted it. I hope you´ll enjoy it.**

_All at once my world came crashing down,  
And no one can understand... Why I often wear a frown.  
Diagnosed with __this disease was the hardest thing received,  
Who actually would of thought?  
Who actually believes? Believes in my recovery... believes I'll make it through  
I'm often left in wonder, is this nightmare really true?  
You can bet that no matter how bad it is... Someone always has it worse.  
Although this thing called cancer is nothing but a curse._

* * *

"**How** are you feeling, Tyson?" The doctor dressed in white who sits behind a wooden desk in his well organised office asks him. The man called McKain seems to be in his late 40ties pushes up his glasses that are on the tip of his nose. "I've heard that it could hurt a little."

The nice scent of coffee lingers around them and the warmth inside makes the teen feel comfortable and calm. Tyson sits in a chair across from the doctor, he's dressed in his usual clothes but his long blue-ish black hair is loose and quite messy. The Japanese teen smirk a little as he scratches his forehead, feeling just fine. The room is as white as it can be; walls, carpet and furniture are all in the same shade of white. Somehow it feels pure. The sunshine emerges from the window glass and spreads more warmth.

"Naaah." He begins. "I've been through worse." He adds in a slightly cocky tone.

"I could have guessed."

Doctor McKain starts to jostle some of his papers before he puts them down firmly. Tyson's world champion grin fades as the seriousness in the other's eyes creates an uneasy feeling in his stomach. The comfy atmosphere disappears suddenly and the nice smell of coffee turns old with a rotten after taste in it. Tyson's chest grows cold as the man in front of him takes forth a couple of papers where he clearly can see his own name on.

"Your test results are not that good…"

"…Okay?" Tyson tries to act composed but the feeling of something being terribly wrong isn't good for his nerves. "What do you mean, Doc?"

There's a long silence while the man searches for the right words, at last he decides that a picture can say more than letters can. He hands Tyson the black and white print of his head silently waiting for a reaction from the young man. McKain regards how the other's brown eyes slowly shrink, how his slightly parted lips tremble and how his firm hands start to shake. There's a large white spot in the picture where they both know that it should only show black. Tyson lets go of the print and stares at the other with disbelief clear in his hazel nut eyes.

"As you can see, Tyson. Here…" He points at the white spot that's in the size of a ping-pong ball with his pencil. "This is a tumour."

_A tumour. _The word has a strange ring to it. _I've a tumour…in my head. _It takes some seconds before Tyson really understands the meaning of the word and as it hits him, he gets as cold as an ice cube. He feels as if someone punched him in the face all of a sudden; whit no certain reason to back up the act.

"…Do I've cancer?" Tyson asks at last, with a calmness that's almost eerie.

"I'm sorry to tell you this but yes, you've cancer."

"I'm only 18! That's…But you can fix it, right!?"

"As you can see on the print, the tumour has reached a large part of your brain…"

The doctor doesn't have to say anything more. Tyson understands. He looks down and touches his knees with his head, holding it firmly. Strange enough; he doesn't cry. Something within him knew about this, maybe his body already adjusted itself to the ping-pong ball that's only growing bigger. That headache is slowly re-emerging and the Beyblade star grits his teeth.

"Isn't there anything…you could do?" He asks weakly.

"…" The man seems to hesitate. "I've seen a case similar to yours… A young man with a brain tumour like yours went through a very risk full surgery and survived. But that chance is really small."

"How small?" Tyson asks in a voice with a hint of hope in it.

"Very."

"5 or 25 chance?" He asks in an almost desperate tone.

"I would say…5. "

Tyson's hope seems to fade away. Something in his hazel nut eyes seems to disappear, the energy and his characteristic charm. The blue haired teen sighs deeply and leans back in the chair, frowning a little as he looks into McKain´s eyes.

"But that's enough to give it a try, what do you say?" McKain tries to give him some encouragement, but Tyson breaks their eye contact.

"How much time do I've left…?"

"…If you're lucky, 6 months."

Six months, a half year; some might think that that's much time but in this situation it isn't. Tyson's eyes widen a fraction and his breath seems to get stuck in his throat, he gasps loudly. But he's quick to regain his calm composure and thinks it through.

"No, I'll rather die outside this hospital if I'm gonna die on the surgery table anyway. Just give me…Some pills for the pain, will you?" He replies at last in a slightly irritated choice of voice.

Doctor McKain seems to disagree with Tyson´s decision; he crinkles his nose a little. At last he pulls up a card from his chest pocket and hands it causally to the teen. Tyson accepts it with a trembling hand and he regards it for some moments. McKain wanders of to write down what medicine that he needs to use.

"My number is there; feel free to give me a call. Don't give up just yet, lad."

* * *

**Tyson **can't help but smile as he sees how all of his team mates literally rushes over to him as he enters the hall. Even the ice cold ice prince Kai walks over to him with a face that's not as emotionless as it uses to be. Somehow it makes him happy. Max throws his arms around Tyson´s neck and hugs the other gently.

"T-man!" He cheers with a sugar sweet smile. "I thought you were a goner there."

"I thought so too for a while! But you know me, Maxie I won't die that easily." He jokes causally.

The pain somehow fades as he's with his friends and the thought of him having a brain tumour seems to far away. Like the reality he's in at the moment doesn't exist. He smirks as Max lets go of him, giving the blonde thumbs up.

"So what was it?" Rei asks in a worried tone. "Why did you collapse like that Tyson?"

Tyson forces a smile to his lips, feeling how the headache of his gets more painful, as he looks at his Chinese pal. The others seem to want to know the answer too and the fact makes the Japanese a little uncomfortable. Telling his best friends that he'll probably die in six month isn't something you just can shout out and he feels too weak to even try to explain it to himself. How can he tell his team mates when he, himself, doesn't really believe in it yet?

"It's just a bad chest cold or something, noting severe." He finds himself lying. "Haha, but seriously, I thought that I was about to die there for a while!"

"Yeah! Well don't scare us like that again!" Kenny complains in his squeaky voice. "I just hope you'll get better before the tournament begins…"

"Ah Chief! I would never let my team down, you know it!" He tells him quickly. "If I, the world champion three times a row, wouldn't show up I guess the whole competition would be cancelled."

"Hey!" Kenny punches him lightly. "You're not the centre of the universe, you know!?"

Tyson fakes the physical pain and laughs at Kenny´s childish expression. Max laughs at his friends with a bright smile on his lips, Rei just smiles while Kai regards Tyson in silence. Together they head toward the pharmacy to buy the pain killers that doctor McKain suggested. Tyson clutches the yellow paper in his fist firmly; he's sure to hide it from the others and decides to buy the medicine by himself just in case. He would rather tell them about his sickness than them finding it out by themselves in a bad way. Tyson´s usual expression full of energy and cockiness changes into a sad one without him realising it. Sometimes the body acts after emotions even if the person doesn't want it to. And the fact that he literally can feel a pair of all seeing eyes piercing his back is just making him feel even tenser.

* * *

**Tyson **can't remember when he last spent a weekend at home without hanging out with the Bladebreakers. The eighteen year old sighs as he takes another bite of his meal. He is currently sitting in his bed, eating junk food with a locked door to separate him from the outer world called Grampa and Hiro. He finishes and swallows two white and red pills with the remaining water in his glass. Tyson makes a face as the bitter taste of them reaches his tongue.

"Oh man! Can't they make these pills taste a little better?" He says out loud.

He puts away the plate and zaps through the channels on his small but working TV. His fingers work quickly in snapping motions as if he's in a hurry. An irritating growl leaves his lips as he finds nothing interesting he shuts it of and lies on his back on the bed. Long dark eyelashes flutter close as he starts to massage his forehead. The throbbing pain is always there nowadays and those pills don't seem to work at all.

Rei asked all of them if a sleep over with movies, Beyblade, nice food and just hanging out would be fun for the weekend. But Tyson was quick to decline with the excuse that he's still sick and needs some rest. He can still recall the others faces; looking all surprised and even slightly worried. Rei said it was OK and that it could wait. But the true reason for him to say no wasn't because of the pain; he thought that it would be great to get some free days to think things over. To decide how to tell the others about his situation but in the end all he have done is eating, watching TV and walking around in a quite stressful manner.

"You guys…You know the chest cold I told you about? Sorry but it's cancer." Tyson talks to himself.

He shakes his head furiously knowing that if he told them like that it would only end in tears and arguments.

"I've cancer and I'm dying"

If he told them directly he's afraid that Max or Kenny would die of a heart attack or something. Why is it so hard to tell the ones you care about? Why does it hurt so fucking much? Tyson grimaces suddenly. Tears start to emerge from his closed eyes as the fact suddenly strikes him. Hard_. I'm dying._ He has always known it but its first now that he fully accepts it and understands what the word "dying" really means. Tyson tries to hide his face by resting his arm over both of his eyes but the salt liquid creates small canals down the world champion's cheeks. A large ball of pain in his chest and throat makes it hard to breathe and the throbbing feeling doesn't fade. It's always there, hiding. A small sob leaves Tyson´s trembling lips. He tries to fight it but he can't win over his emotions. This whole week he has been able to hide it, hiding it from his family and friends but he can't lie to himself anymore. This suffocating pain is too much for him to bear so he let's it out. Clutching his pillow to his shaking chest tightly he cries like never before. _Why is it me?_ He turns around so he can silence his cries in the already wet sheets. _Why is this…curse happening to me?_

Tyson is aware of that his eyes are red and swollen as he walks out of his room to put his plate in the dishes. But he doesn't care to hide it as he enters the small kitchen in the Granger dojo. His older brother Hiro is sitting by the table still eating while reading a magazine, none of them greets the other as they notices the other's presence. Tyson turns his back to Hiro as he starts to wash his plate and the said 25 year old man glances at his little brother.

"Since when did you start to do the dishes?" He asks Tyson in a quite teasing voice.

"Why do you care, Hiro?" Is his short and slightly irritated reply.

"Looks like someone's grump today."

"I'm not grumpy!" Tyson snaps at the other in aloud voice.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Hiro yells back. "It was a joke; don't take things so seriously, Tyson!"

"Sometimes it's better not to joke and didn't you complain about me being too frivolous just yesterday?"

"Well _Sorry_!.."

"What´s going on here, dudes?"

The two's grand father stands there in the doorway dressed in his usual kendo outfit while regarding them with a stern gaze. Hiro shuts his mouth and keeps his further insults to himself as the owner of the house enters the kitchen with his kendo stick in his right hand. Tyson calms down a bit as he stands there leaning against the cupboard with a pair of wet hands clutching a piece of cloth to get dry.

"Nothing gramps, I'm off doing my homework." Tyson tells him quickly.

Tyson wanders of quickly with heavy steps and leaves the other two rather stunned.

"Since when did Tyson start to do his homework of his own will?" Hiro ponders out loud. "I though he would fail every class now when Hillary isn't here to force him to study anymore."

"Hmm? Lil-dude has matured and is thinkin´ of his future!" Gramps says out loud with a pleased expression on his face.

Hiro isn't as pleased.

Knowing a big secret like Tyson´s can be a burden. You start to act differently without noticing it and the ones around you are the ones who get affected by it. It can realty tear on relationships. He didn't figure out how to tell his friends and family in the end, sometimes the weekend is over too quickly for his liking. Tyson looks down at his homework, noticing that he hasn't written a single sane sentence on the paper. For the first time in years he fears tomorrow when he knows he has to face the team again and lie…he's sure that he probably has to deceive them a lot more, it tears him apart.

* * *

**Cold **water helps him swallow the pills, Tyson stares at his reflection in the mirror. The medicine that doctor McKain gave him won't erase the ping pong ball in his head but the uncomfortable throbbing fades after while; he is starting to get used to taking the small colourful pills every morning. Tyson´s usually tanned skin looks rather pale as he regards himself, trying to make his wild hair look decent. His chubbiness has disappeared and he almost looks too thin the heavy medicine affects his body severely and these past days he has lost weight. A sudden, loud voice interrupts Tyson as he's about to brush his teeth.

"Hey, lil-man! The gang has arrived." Gramp´s voice tells him from outside the bathroom, followed by three loud knock on the door.

"Right, I heard you!"

Tyson sighs as he spits out the fluffy liquid. He uses water once again to clean his mouth from old food and spits once again. He runs a hand through his hair before he unlocks and opens the door slowly to meet his friends. They're all waiting for him in the living room, sitting around the table talking to each other about irrelevant stuff. Tyson is greeted by a dazzling smile from the always hyper Max as he joins them at the coach.

"So T-man, are you ready for some hardcore training?" The blonde asks him.

This day is supposed to be his first training after the accident but he doesn't feel exited at all, just pained with stress and thoughts that bothers him more than ever. Will his already weak body cooperate? Tyson´s eyes flutter a little and he lowers his gaze as he slowly nods. His earlier promise about becoming fit till the tournament forces him to say yes, if his promises break so will his lies about his situation. Something about the fact that his Dragoon blade is in his pocket calms him, it's almost as if he feels how the blue dragon tries to comfort him. A small smile grows stronger on the heroines face.

"Yeah! I'm ready for anything now."

"Honestly, it felt odd training without you pal." Rei tells him in an honest voice.

The neko-jin smiles in his own way showing his fangs with a challenging hint in his golden eyes, but also a hint of concern. Tyson laughs as he dries his nose with his finger, rubbing it back and forth.

"Who would not miss me?" He tells them with a smirk.

He closes his eyes as he smiles in a really wide manner but as he opens them he notices how a pair of fiery red eyes literally stares at him. Tyson is a little taken aback by his captain´s gaze and something about the depth in those orbs tells him that he has been looking at him for a long time. A cold feeling strikes him like a slap; what if Kai can see through his act? The thing about Kai is that he can send you the creepiest glares, stares and glances but always look away after a while. Now he's looking straight at Tyson as if he's trying to read him like a book.

"So I guess you're up for some training at the beach then, Tyson?" He asks him in a calm tone.

"Take it easy, Kai!" Kenny tells him in a squeaky voice. Tyson snaps out of Kai´s trance as the youngest member utters his name. Kenny looks from Tyson to Kai with his light green eyes that are full of concern. "His cold might still…"

"He said he was ready." Kai counters in a voice that tells him that it's the end of the discussion.

A shiver runs down Tyson´s spine at those words. The tone Kai uses makes him believe that the cold captain challenges him somehow, but is it only his paranoia that's playing mind games again? Sure Kai was the one who almost saw him throw up, the one who possibly…A tight ball gets painful in his stomach, a feeling of fear, coldness and stress. _What if he suspects something?_ A feeling similar to being black mailed enters Tyson´s senses.

"..Okay.." Kenny mutters, unable to look at Kai.

"Anyway, I can't wait! You know my mother sent me a new version of Draciel! Our defence is awesome now!" Max cheers as he breaks the uncomfortable silence. Rei nods in agreement. "Yeah let's go."

Tyson walks slower than the others as they head toward the yard. His eyes are hesitant as he looks at the frame of Kai´s broad back as he walks in front of him and he wonders why he didn't say no when Max asked if he was ready to train. Saying yes was a mistake and he regrets it. He knows that he has to tell everybody the truth someday but he hopes that his lies are still intact after the upcoming training season.

**AN; thats chapter two. I hope you liked it. Please tell me if you didn´t. **

* * *


	3. Lies

**An; Thank you guys for all the reviews, alerts and faves! Hugs to you! Now on with the story!**

* * *

_Keeping a secret is a burden, _

_Not being told is agony._

_Twisting the reality into something less truth, _

_Is that the same as lying?_

_Being told a truth that hurts,_

_You might want to get it untold._

_So when are those white lies appropriate? _

_No one knows,_

_No one gets wiser._

_It's the human mind that has to decide,_

_What's wrong and what's right.

* * *

_**Tyson **notices how his hands tremble as he attaches Dragoon to his launcher. But he can't say it it's due to his tumour or his nerves, but he's sure that he hides his nervousness from the rest of the team, especially Kai. Kai, his cold heartless captain as Tyson calls him, seems to watch his every move nowadays. It just makes everything worse to hide, lie and come up with excuses for. You never know if he buys them or sees how his nose is growing, just like Pinocchio when he was telling a lie. The breeze from the sea plays with his hair as he's finally ready to let it rip.

Max, who's standing on the other side of the dish, smiles cheerfully as he also, attaches his new beyblade to his launcher. The blonde half Japanese will get an advantage since they'll be playing close to the water, Tyson finds himself thinking. A smirk grows on his lips as he is drawn back to his old beyblading ways of thinking. _But Dragoon´s awesome storm will be able to beat him, anyway!_

"Great to see that you're back on track T-man!" Max shouts.

"He-heh! Less talking and more beyblading, someone gonna count down or what?" Somehow he's able to hide his nerves and his natural cockiness is easy to hear.

Tyson feels alive once again as he pulls the ripcord, as he feels how that intense power is created in the palm of his hand as he sends his beyblade flying. He lets himself forget the pain, forget the ping pong ball in his head and he enjoys the battle. Sometimes adrenaline can do that to you. When you do something, pressing your body as hard as you can the pain fades away. But that doesn't mean it's not _there. _Tyson gasps as his beyblade is knocked out of the dish, it took him by surprise.

"Oh man, I lost!" Tyson complains as he kneels down to grab Dragoon.

"Tyson you're a little rusty, that's all! Let's try again."

A smile is about to emerge on the champion´s lips but a sudden throbbing pain turns it into a grimace. It feels as if something huge inside of his skull tries to puncture its way through the flesh and bone there, it takes all of Tyson´s will power to keep down the moan of pain that's lingering in his throat. He swallows it quickly and gets up on his feet in no time; surprised over the fact that his knees doesn't buckle under his weight. He forces a smile to his lips.

"Y-yeah!..Let´s…" _Fuck I won't manage another round like this…_

"Not a chance Max, it's my turn now." Rei tells the blonde. "I want to face your new beyblade, see if it's as tough as you make it seem."

Tyson sighs out of relief silently. He sends Rei a smile and thumbs up before he heads over to the lonely bench at the beach. He breathes out deeply as he sits there, finally safe. He runs a hand through his black blue-ish hair and tenses as he notices how sweat makes the strands rather wet. Since when did he sweat because one little round of beyblade? The throbbing inside of his skull seems to lessen as hi sits down but the pain is there. His brown eyes watch Rei and Max as they battle while his hearing catches the sound of Kenny discussing their training schedule with Kai. Without him noticing it, Tyson grabs his beyblade more firmly in his palm, squeezing it almost if he's begging his bitbeast for comfort.

* * *

**Kai´s **eyes moves from Kenny to the computer screen he gives a "hn…" when the computer nerd says something he agrees with. The quite chilly breeze from the sea moves his hair out of his face and it shows his crimson eyes more clearly. They're straining at the same part of the beach where they worked out during the time when the Saint Shields and Team Psychics were challenging them. The same place where Hilary saw a bitbeast for the very first time, where Tyson make her look dumb for not being able to notice them.

Kai is thankful for the fact that he took his thicker jacket this morning, instead of that sleeveless one he usually wears. You should never underestimate the sea, ever. Kenny mentions the new defence strategy and he praises Judy and Max´s new blade, saying that it will help a lot. Kai snorts.

"It won't help us at all since her team, the All Stars are probably already informed about it."

"Oh." Kenny seems to notice the gap in his theory. "Yeah I guess…But if we use that against them we can overpower…"

Kai looks at him for a while before he turn away, sighing. He looks over at his team and watches the battle for a while. He can't hide it; he's impressed by Max´s new blade and the new and improved defence. But there's still a long way to go. He finds himself looking after the always loud Japanese, expecting him to be there close to the dish, but he finds him sitting at the bench. Something within him turns at the sight of the younger man sitting there with a distant expression on his face. The way he squeezes his blade doesn't go unnoticed, it is almost as he's seeking Dragoon´s protection…

"…Kai?" Kenny mutters as he notices that the captain hasn't been paying attention to what he has said these last minuets. Kenny´s green eyes show his irritation but still he holds back, afraid of the cold ice prince. The youngest in the group suddenly notices what Kai´s looking at and he also turns to look at Tyson.

"I guess he feels bad for losing to Max. Or pondering over how much hard work it will take to get him back in shape." Kenny tells him in a joke-tone.

"Hn."

Kai glances at Kenny for a second. Something about what the genius said makes him believe that it's far more complicated than it looks. That Tyson can be depressed over things other than beyblading, food and home works. At first he thought that Tyson was only trying to get away from training by over exaggerating things, like he always does. Kai recalls the emptiness in the other's eyes the day he fainted all of a sudden, and it feels so real. No one can lie this good; no one can pretend to be sick that excellent way. Tyson is a beyblader and **not** an _actor_. The thing is; he went to hospital, got his medicine and is supposed to get better but Kai can't see any progress at all.

He can't lie to himself, yes, he has been watching Tyson lately. Searching for every sign of pain or recovery from that so called "chest cold". But the only thing ha can see is how he acts differently than before, more edgy and less carefree. He can't say that he cares but he can't say that he doesn't and that bothers him. He feels torn in that matter not knowing where he stands. Something he hates just as much as not being able to reach perfection is to not be able to understand your own mind and actions.

Tyson looks at him all of a sudden, like he felt how he looked at him. Those hazelnut brow eyes meet his own for a quick moment before something like shock is reflected in his orbs, and he looks down to the ground. The Tyson Kai knows would have glared back at him, maybe even said something insulting before challenging him to a beyblade fight. His reaction is too weak. Kai´s stomach turns of uneasiness maybe even concern, a feeling that the captain ignores for the moment. He turns to Kenny.

"That's enough for today. I expect you to continue working with that theory of yours, remember not to copy too much from Judy."

"Y-yeah sure!" He squeaks.

Kai gives the brunette a weak nod before he walks away, approaching Rei and Max who are still battling each other. His jacket moves with the wind as he walks in the sand, his shoes sinking in the unstable surface. Kai knows just what he has to do to get the answers he wants. A pair of red eyes glances in Tyson´s direction before he interrupts the battle and tells them it's all for today.

* * *

**Tyson **sighs relived as the announcement of them ending practice early reaches his ears. He smiles as Max and Rei moves up to him, talking about their _amazing _battle. He listens and gives a comment or two acting as he is as he always been. Kenny approaches them with his laptop in his hands nearly shouting about their improvement in their defence. Max smiles cheerfully, his blue eyes sparkling as he agrees adding that he never has used a beyblade with better defence that the one his mom gave to him.

"Yeah Judy sure knows what she's doing!" Tyson agrees.

"Mm…I still need to get better though." Rei mutters. "I've only focused on speed and offence before…"

"You'll make it Rei! I know you can do it!" Max assures him with a thumb up.

The four friends chatter as they prepare to leave the beach. Tyson is forced to stay back for a while to clean his shoes from the sand that always seems to be able to enter inside. He balances slightly as he takes one of his shoes and wipes away the sand. He puts it on quickly so he can rejoin his friends but the voice of his captain stops him.

"Wait Tyson, I need to speak to you."

Kai walks up to him slowly with the wind blowing in his hair. Tyson nods slowly and waves to the other telling them he'll join them later. He turns to face Kai.

"Sure Kai. Anything for you." Tyson answers in a teasing manner.

"Hn…follow me." Kai doesn't seem to think it was fun in anyway.

They walk slowly along the beach and to Tyson´s displeasure new sand makes its way down his shoes. The itchy feeling forces him to walk wobbly but he stops when Kai sends him a glance. Tyson laughs it off and Kai snorts, looking away over the water. Tyson stops laughing as he watches how the sun seems to bounce from the water surface and hit Kai´s face; it makes him shine. _The light makes his cold red eyes look warmer, it makes him look kind of soft…_Tyson finds himself thinking. He's quick to shrug it off his mind. Tyson notices that his captain stopped walking just in time for him to evade walking straight into him. The Russian don't seem to have notice because his eyes are still at the horizon and the water.

"How sick are you, honestly?"

Kai´s usual cold, uncaring tone seems to be full of something else. It´s not concern but something close to it and a mixture of another thing you can't put your finger on. Tyson doesn't notice this since he's too surprised by the actual question. His shoulders turn stiff.

"W-what? I'm not sick, as I said it's a c-chest cold! And I'm getting better by the second. "

Kai turns around slowly and those red eyes of his turns darker as the sun no longer reach his face, instead it touches his back. The visible change in those orbs captivates Tyson for some seconds; calmness turns into intenseness in a matter of seconds.

"You may think that you can trick the others but I'm not that naïve."

"…" _Shit! _

Tyson glares at Kai as he approaches him slowly. He hates this situation really bad. Something about his trembling body language must have told him that he's about to escape because a hand grabs his arm firmly.

"I know that you're up to something…or maybe hiding something. You're easy to read, Tyson."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now, let me go."

Tyson denies it quickly. He can almost hear the uneasiness in his own voice and that makes him sure that Kai also noticed it. He tries to shake him off but the grip on his arm only turns rougher. Panic starts to grow inside of his stomach as he starts thinking of what Kai might do to make him spill his secret. _I've to get away!_

"What if I say no?"

"I said let me go!" Desperation hear able in his voice.

"Tyson! I'm your captain. I'm responsible for your well being so tell me what's wrong before I…"

"What are you threatening me now? Honestly Kai this doesn't concern you, not at all! _So just_ **back off!!" **Tyson yells angrily.

Kai flinch.

"Why so defensive? What are you…_dying_?" Kai yells at him with a challenging tone, also being sarcastic.

Kai smirks at Tyson´s shocked form, it's clear that he won the argument. But those small, narrow hazelnut brown eyes make him regret everything he said. He slowly let go of Tyson. The world champion just stands there staring at him with his mouth slightly opened, but no words leaves those lips of his. The smirk fades slowly and turns into a thin straight line. _Something I said must have…_Kai ponders while he watches how his team mate seems to tremble._ But what?_

"…_Just_…leave me alone!" The sentence starts as a low whisper but he screams the two last words in a loud high pitched voice.

Kai´s crimson eyes gets narrow as he regards how Tyson looks at him with pain in his eyes. He has never seen Tyson crying but this is close to doing just so. His heart starts to beat loudly and painfully in his cold chest and Kai almost reaches out for Tyson as he turns around and runs away. Fingers twitching before he closes them into fists, Kai regards Tyson´s back as he disappears from his view. Red eyes flutter close as a deep breath leaves his pale, dry lips. But they snap open as reality hits him hard. _Why so defensive? What are you…__**dying**__?_ Kai start to move slowly. _It can't be…_And the pain in his heart grows tenfold.

* * *

**The **sound of the pond can be hear able through the thin bamboo walls into the dojo. Gramps sits there alone with his legs crossed and eyes closed, his long kendo sword lies in front of him. He's been practising and is now meditating in search for his inner calmness. The old sword of stone is still standing there but the place where Dragoon ones was is lost. The sword has been passed down from generation to generation to finally decorate this dojo. But it lingers sadness around the old and worn out weapon. A sudden loud sound interrupts Gramp´s meditation and he flinches as the door is pulled open roughly.

The older man stares at his grandson as he walks quickly across the room, in a stressful and angry manner, opens the other door to disappear into the main house. Another loud bump interrupts the silence as he shuts the door violently behind his back. One of the old paintings on the wall falls to the ground some seconds later. Gramps eyebrow starts to twitch as the door opens once again but it's Hiro this time.

"Hey Gramps, what was that sound?"

Gramps gets of the floor and walks over to the fallen drawing; he puts it back on its rightful place carefully. Hiro follow his movements waiting for an answer.

"Tyson just came home."

"I'll try to talk to him." Hiro suggests in a tired way.

The older of the two brothers makes his way towards the younger´s room. He feels slightly irritated because Tyson has somehow angered him and gramps today again. Something about the youth has changed, Hiro doesn't know what, but no matter what it's it affects the whole family. Tyson´s mood swings are starting to get really annoying. In the beginning he seemed to think about his future and started working a lot, both with school and in the home but lately he has stayed in the room of his all day. But Hiro thought that meeting the Bladebreakers again would change him back into that cheery brother he knew. Maybe he's still sick from that chest cold. Loud music is hear able through the walls so Hiro knocks on the door rather loudly.

"Hey, Tyson we need to talk."

"…_Not now Hiro."_ His brother's voice is hard to hear through the wooden door._"I´m doing my homework." _

"How can you concentrate with that noise? Seriously Tyson I'm coming in."

And he grabs the handle and pushes it down only to notice that it's locked. Tyson has never locked his door before. Hiro´s eyes narrow slightly as he pushes the handle some more in case he is mistaken; but it's locked. He knocks on the door again harder this time to make Tyson hear it through the music.

"Tyson! Open the door."

"_What did you say? I can't hear you." _

"Turn down the damn music!"

Hiro gets no answer at all this time. Sure it's possible that Tyson can't hear him but something makes him believe that he's choosing not to hear. This angers him but he controls himself with a deep exhale of air and he leaves.

* * *

**All **Tyson sees is his room's door as he walks through the dojo quickly. He doesn't stop to greet his grand father that is as usual meditating around this time of the day. He can't risk it; he just knows that if he tries to talk to them he would start weeping. The tears well up on his eyelids as he grabs the door handle and enter his room, his safe place. He throws himself toward the bed and hides his face in the sheets. He reaches out for his radio and turns it on hoping that the cheery pop song will drown his cries. _Kai knows._ Tyson punches his pillow. "_Why so defensive? What are you…__**dying**__?" _Kai asked him clearly and it was like a punch to his groin.

Tyson doesn't want his friend to know about his tumour, he wants them to stay happy and focused now when the tournament is coming. Not worrying over him all the time while he gets sicker by the day. He wants to spare them that pain and bear it by himself. He wants to protect them somehow by taking it on himself but he's sure that if they found it they'll think that he's egoistic by not telling them. Their pain will be there in their eyes anyway but he'll not be there to witness it. Maybe he wants to be egoistic, just this time. _But Kai he…_

"_Tyson, we need to talk." _

His older brother's voice reaches him somehow through the music and his sobs. Tyson grits his teeth to evade another sob from leaving his lips. He doesn't want to talk to him; he doesn't want to talk to anyone. He pushes himself up a little to answer.

"…Not now Hiro." He takes a deep breath. "I'm doing my homework."

He lies once again. All these lies make the burden harder to bear, but he can't stop it. Believing that this is the best he continues to deceive them. Being lied to is pain, not being told is agony and keeping a secret is a heavy burden so why do humans lie? When are those white lies okay? Tyson doesn't know everything just seem meaningless. He puts a tiny pill on his tongue and swallows hoping that the medicine will stop the growing pain in his head and in his heart.

"_How can you concentrate with that noise? Seriously Tyson I'm coming in." _

Tyson lies back on the bed holding his hands to his ears. He doesn't want to hear it. But the sound of Hiro yanking the door handle reaches him anyway. Not remembering when he locked the door the Japanese teen sigh out of relief; he's still safe. But the loud knocks on the door makes him uneasy and slightly panicked.

"_Tyson! Open the door." _

"What did you say? I can't hear you." Tyson whispers against his sheets.

"_Turn down the damn music!" _

He lied again and Hiro went away somewhere. Tyson lies there with his face against the sheets just waiting for more knocks or maybe even that his brother kicks down the door or something drastic like that. But nothing happens.

* * *

**It's **hard to calm yourself down but the Japanese teen tries. For once he listens to his grand father's advice and starts to meditate to find his inner peace. He's sitting there crossed legged in front of the katana he once got Dragoon from so many year back. His shoulders is at first very tense but he relaxes as the time passes by, with a deep breath as calm as he can become. Meditation is something he has always done through the years but to be honest, Tyson only meditated because his Gramps told him to. He thought it was meaningless and a waste of time but now he sees how it can affect the mind. And it feels like it's time to be careful with the time he has left. Sometimes when you meditate it can feel as if your mind leaves the body. Tyson feels weightless and he doesn't notice when Gramps joins him.

His mind travels through his memories slowly showing him how fun had with his team before, it also shows him his pain when he found out that he was sick. It makes him think about life in a different way and now when there's a time limit Tyson has to choose what to do properly since he will disappear…soon. There are so many things he wants to do before he dies; like going to Egypt and visit the pyramids, ordering a cheeseburger without cheese at Mc Donald's, travel around the world, buy that candy machine he saw last week and of course win the world championships again. Knowing that there's no chance for him to do all that makes him feel quite stressed. He'll miss things that his friends will go through when they're older like…falling in love and maybe build up a family.

He feels how his calmness fades slowly and an irritation takes the emotions place. His relaxed shoulders get tense once again as he sits there on the floor in silence.

"GAAH! I can't take this anymore!" He yells all of a sudden as he punches the floor violently with his fist.

Gramps flinch. "Tyson take it easy…" For once he sounds as how a real grand parent should sound, without some "Cool" accent.

Tyson who didn't know that Gramps was there flinches too as he notices.

"Oh, Sorry Gramps! I just… remembered that I was supposed to meat up with the gang!"A lie, again.

"Tyson! You know …."

But he doesn't stay to listen. He hurries out, almost running, through the house. Just when he's about to leave he bumps into the person he least wanted to meet and that person is Hiro. Like a reaction the older grabs the younker's arm and brings him into a halt there in the corridor. Tyson has to fight within himself to keep his cool but his calm expression looks more like a grimace as he faces Hiro. The feeling of the need to run haunts him every second.

"Tyson?" _What's wrong?_

"S-sorry Hiro I've no time."

Tyson tries to break free from his grip but to no avail. His emotions, the confusion and stress make his hands weak and unable to push away the other. This situation reminds him of how Kai held him and that he wasn't able to defend himself back then either. Tyson doesn't know when he became this weak because it happened so slowly, that fact angers him. How can strength slip through his fingers like sand without him really noticing? Why in this rapid speed? It hits him every time; how this cancer affects his body and mind…it scares him. _Kai…._

"No** take** your _time _and explain your odd behaviour!"

"There's nothing to explain." _I don't have enough time…!!_

"Tell me!"

"There's nothing I said, now let me go, _**Hiro**_!"

The way Tyson yells out his name in desperation, fear and sadness takes the older by surprise. It's like he tells him that if he holds on to him much longer he'll fall apart. Hiro´s eyes widen at this and he let go of Tyson as if he burned himself and the younger takes advantage of this and flees out the door.

"Seriously Tyson! Don't come back until you've changed your rotten attitude!" Hiro growls furiously but his voice breaks with concern His angry eyes turn sad as he watches Tyson´s back as he runs through the yard.

"Hiro, whatta ya doing?" Gramps complains.

"Don't worry; he'll learn his lesson and come back here begging to be allowed inside." Hiro answers in a confident voice.

"You shouldn't have done that Hiro." Gramps tells him in a serious tone. "He's still just a …"

"Child? He's 18 now! He knows how to take care of himself."

"You can't kick people out of…" Gramps hits him lightly on his head with his kendo sword."…my dojo, Hiro!"

"I didn't kick him out he ran out!"

* * *

**Tyson **runs as fast as he can through the rain outside. He doesn't give a damn about how the wetness soaks his clothes and hair, he just runs as if he's fleeing from some monster. Breathing becomes a burden as he forces his already weak body to run more. Tyson doesn't know where he is heading so he lets his feet lead the way completely. Somehow, in his misery, he wishes that everything could end in that moment; just like that. No more pain, no more suffering and no more lies. But life is something you shouldn't wish to end, Tyson agrees with that and he'll cherish the time that's left.

Everything has become so complicated. Every lie has led him closer to a quarrel with his family and friends and he wonders if it's all worth it. Does it spare them their pain? When his shoe collides with a puddle of water does the drops drench his trousers, the soaked material is glued around his tights Tyson finds himself in an area where he's just been once before. The shock of finding himself here makes him slow down for a moment. Without thinking it through Tyson walks over to that familiar door. He knocks slowly.

His heart starts beating faster as someone opens the door slowly and in the doorway stands Hiwatari Kai just as if he expected him to come over. But the expression on the Russians face tells Tyson otherwise. Maybe the fever has gotten to him but in that moment he feels like everything is going to be alright. That he can trust him with all his secrets somehow. Tyson forces a smile to his already trembling lips.

"Kai I….I didn't know who to turn to…"

* * *

**AN; I hope you liked it. and I also hope that everything makes sense to you. If you´ve any Ideas or thoughts about this story please ask or tell me. Reviews will always make my writing go better! so R&R if you want to. Have a "Happy"? Halloween. Ciao**

* * *


	4. One Litre of Tears

**AN; thank you for the lovely reviews! and sorry for the wait!

* * *

****I can't take it once again!  
I throw a soap bottle at the wall.  
I wish I couldn't feel,  
i wish i couldnt fall.  
please don't hurt me.  
its unbearable to heal  
maybe none of this is real?

* * *

****Kai **looks at his drenched team mate with wide eyes; the sudden visit was totally unexpected. The enigma notices the wetness in Tyson´s face but something inside him tells Kai that it's not only the rain that has soaked the other's being. The world champion stands there in his doorway leaning against the wall while his drenched form shakes from the cold and Kai thinks that he's never seen Tyson in a weak state like this many times before. It makes him realise that his thoughts might be correct; that Tyson really is sicker than what he shows. Kai frowns as Tyson clearly forces a smile to his purple lips.

"Kai I….I didn't know who to turn to…"

Kai loses his ability to form words as he hears the emotion behind Tyson´s sentence. He steps to the side to give Tyson room to come in silence. Wet footprints show Tyson´s way through the hall to where you put your jacket, small puddles of water on the wooden floor. Kai regards the younger man as he puts away his coat, silently waiting for the other to say something.

"…Bad weather… huh?" Tyson's voice breaks halfway through his statement.

"Hn." Kai snorts as a reply.

The Russian walks past Tyson through the hallway and opens a door to his right that leads into his very big bedroom. He walks over to his cupboard and grabs a pair of trousers, a t-shirt and underwear. He pushes these into Tyson´s hands as he once again passes by in his way to the bathroom on the other side of the small corridor. The Japanese blader follows Kai with his eyes as a white, fluffy towel is laid on the clothes in his arms.

"The bathroom is all yours." Kai tells him as he almost forcefully pushes Tyson through the doorway. "Take your time." He shuts the door firmly.

Kai looks at the closed door in silence until he hears how Tyson on the other side of the door locks it before he leaves. He flinches as he accidentally steps in one of the wet puddles in the hallway but Kai continues through his apartment and enters his small but nice kitchen. Preparing coffee in slow moments his thoughts wander to a different world. Two white cups is there on the kitchen table, two instead on the lone cup he sees everyday. The bitter smell of his expensive coffee starts to linger in the room.

* * *

**Tyson **stares at the closed door with narrowed eyes for a moment before he reaches out and locks it with trembling hands. The reaction he expected from Kai didn't show, instead of being yelled at he got a towel and is allowed to take a shower. Tears start to well up again and he wonders how a small gesture like that can make him react like this? But since he got the diagnosis his emotions has been different than before. He's close to a break down and he knows it.

Wet clothes falls to the ground as the champ strips and that hair on his arms are standing straight up from the cold. He shivers as he steps into the shower and decides to warm himself up by bathing in really hot water. A gasp leaves his lips as the warmness surrounds him; it's so hot that it almost feels ice cold against his skin. He stays there under the flow of the water until his mind gets dizzy by the warmness. Just as he's about to step out of the shower he feels how his head throbs, suddenly, with a great amount of pain. A curse leaves his now pink lips and he touches his forehead to somehow lessen the pain. His eyes grow to the size of a needle. For a second, he swore that he could heel how a large swelling was pointing out from his head. _Just my imagination? _Tyson ponders as he looks in the mirror; there's nothing wrong at all.

Kai´s clothes are too big for him but they feel oddly comfortable.

Tyson unlocks the bathroom door and walks hesitantly toward the only room in the apartment that's bathing in the light of a lamp. Finding Kai sitting with a cup of coffee in his hand by the table he son joins him sipping at the offered cup. The warm liquid burns his cold insides but it makes him relax somehow. But the silence grows uncomfortable as Tyson feels how Kai watches him probably waiting for an explanation.

"Sorry I showed up like this but…Hiro literally threw me out of the dojo. I needed a place to hide from the rain."

"And you thought of my place?" Kai asks him with a sharp tone. "Max´s house is closer right? Tyson _why_ are you here."

"I knew somehow that I wouldn't be able to trick you but I…" Tyson lowers his gaze to his hands that holds the cup in a firm grip. "I guess you saw through me somehow."

Kai´s gaze pierces him. The Russian thinks about their latest conversation, about what he said that sent Tyson running. It feels strange to think about it, it feels so unreal but it's what Kai thinks and he wants an answer. It's strangling him inside and the question is suddenly very hard to ask. He feels oddly weak and it angers him.

"You're really…Dying?"

"…Yes." Tyson answers in a hesitant tone, a voice that trembles under the pressure of pain.

A long silence invades the room and none of them looks at the other; both are in deep thought. The fact strikes Kai like a blow to his head even though he knew it. The words from Tyson's mouth surprise him anyway. Kai has seen death many times before but he can't recall having this cold feeling in his whole body. Losing friends and training comrades in the abbey from time to time he thought that he had learnt to not feel at all; everyone has to die someday was his motto. When his parents passed away he felt nothing at all but those two couldn't really be called parents since they abandoned him to his grandfather. Kai was looking at stranger's graves at the funeral and he has never missed them. _But…Tyson. _It's different somehow.

"…How much time do you have?"

* * *

**Tyson **spent the night in Kai´s apartment and during that time he felt so reviled. The pain faded away a little as he told Kai, in detail, how his life would probably end. Dumbness made him hold it to himself all this time…when Kai always were there for him, in his own little antisocial way. The Russian didn't ask for more information and that made Tyson comfortable, he got a real nice sleep for the first time in weeks.

Tyson and Kai walks together towards the river and the taller gives the champion a glance as they take the longer route instead of the one crossing the neighbourhood where Tyson lives. Hiro and Gramps would only yell at him, Tyson thinks as he avoids his habit to walk the shortcut. Sometimes he wonders if it would be better if he didn't see them at all before…Cutting of all connections would maybe make the suffering less painful?

"God morning!" A squeaky voice interrupts his thoughts, it's the chief.

"Mornin Kenny."

The brown haired genius smiles as he reaches the two but he eyes Kai. He has never seen the two of them together outside the bey stadium or training and it confuses him a bit. The silence between them seems to be too comfortable somehow, Kenny shrugs.

"Where are the others?"

"No idea, I guess they're already by the river."

The three of them walks slowly down the street until they reaches one of their favourites training grounds; the river. It's the same place where Tyson battled Carlos, a guy from the neighbourhood, and where he met Kai for the first time. It was also here they met Team Psykick and got to know them. The old bridge here holds a lot of memories for him and his team. Max and Rei are already there just as Kenny thought and the two of them smiles as the team is finally gathered.

"So Kenny, tell me exactly why you called me this early? It must be some kind of emergency…" Rei complains.

Kenny was the one who wanted this meeting and training and he smirks when eyes turn to him. The shortest member of the team sits down in the grass and so does everybody else, he opens his beloved laptop. Rei sighs at this and he lies back in the grass, closing his eyes.

"All of you know that the Championships are closing in right? Well here's the news."

Kenny turns his laptop around and shows the others a big picture with all the team's logos. Small dates are written under the names and Max is quick to understand what it means.

"The teams are coming here that soon?"

"Exactly, Max. They'll all be here within the time of two weeks."

"But the tournament is…" Tyson starts but gets interrupted.

"In a month, yes. I guess they want to check out our new stadium before the competition." Kenny interrupts Tyson in a knowing voice. "So we've a little time to practise by ourselves."

Kai glances at Tyson in just the right time to she how the guy who would jump of excitement normally looks down at the ground with a troubled expression. Kai crosses his arms over his chest as he turns to his team.

"We've to train more and harder these two weeks. I'll not allow you to rest more than the 6 hours of sleep that your body needs to function."

Max´s smile fades by this while Kenny just nods. Kai punches Rei lightly to show his point. The neko-jin complains a little but he opens his eyes and pushes his body into a sitting position.

"I'll come up with individual training programs to match your plan Kai. They'll be done in ten minuets."  
"Are you guys serious?" Max whimpers. "Hey Kai…I always sleep 8 hours."

"Sorry Maxie, but it's time to change your sleeping habits." Kenny tells him, happy that he doesn't have to join them.

"Tyson don't you want to say something?" Rei asks him. "You're always the one that goes up against Kai´s orders."

Tyson, who's been silent through the whole conversation, looks up at Rei with a strange expression on his face. Many questions strike him; how will he be able to train together with them when his condition just gets worse? And has the others noticed changes in his attitude? Rei is a very cunning person…

"Tyson won't train today since he is not well from his chest cold yet." Kai tells them, sticking up for Tyson's lack of ability to answer.

Tyson meets Kai´s eyes for a second still unable to say anything, Kai turns away to start practising. Hazelnut brown eyes turn to the ground and a deep sigh leaves his lips.

"Oh I thought you were better already! That sucks, man. Get better soon." Rei tells Tyson with a friendly tap on the shoulder before he joins Kai.

"Yeah!" Tyson answers with a face smile.

* * *

**Kai **doesn't ask Tyson why he's following him home today too. He knows without asking that the teen needs to be away from home to control his feelings. Hiro can be an ass sometimes, Kai is aware of that, but avoiding your close ones will only lead to more suffering. You didn't see that thought coming from Kai, did you? They walk down the street while the sun is moving down near the horizon, the lights flashes on as day turns to night.

"When are you going to tell everyone?" Kai asks him calmly.

"I don't know."

Kai unlocks the door to his apartment. And walks in with his hands in his pockets, with an _"I don't care"_ look. Tyson follows closely and shuts the door behind them.

"It's going to hurt them you know." He tells him over his shoulder.

Tyson stops in the hallway as Kai walks into the kitchen. He knows that, he knows that everybody will be hurt when he passes away, when he tells them. But the pressure he's feeling right now makes it impossible for him. Wouldn't it be better if he died without telling them? No that would be egoistic since he'll not be there to see their pain when they realises what happened. But if he tells them now it'll bring them down before the championships, who can beyblade properly when they know that a team mate can fall down dead? They would change their attitudes towards him and that's not what he wants at all. He doesn't want their pity, help or care at the moment; he wants to live his last days on earth just like he lived before he got cancer.

Tyson snaps out of it and joins Kai by the kitchen table.

"I'll tell the guys after the championships."

Kai doesn't answer. He hands the other a cup of coffee in silence. Tyson smiles sadly. It seems that Kai always drinks a cup of coffee like this, without sugar or milk. Tyson sips at the hot liquid and winces as it burns his tongue. When his cell phone suddenly starts ringing Tyson nearly drops the cup of surprise. Kai looks up at him as he pulls the phone out from his pocket. Tyson looks at the display for a long time before he pushes the _"answer"_ button hesitantly.

"Hello."

"_Tyson where have you been? Gramps is worried sick about you!!" _Hiro´s angry voice greets him.

"You kicked me out, don't you remember?" Tyson sighs.

Kai puts down his cup pretending that he doesn't listen while he in reality focuses on the call. Tyson´s reactions tell him that he's talking to his big brother and Kai is sure that the reason why Tyson came to his place is talked about at the moment.

_I didn't mean it literally. But your attitude sucks, just admit it. I know that something is wrong but why…?"_

"Not now Hiro." Tyson interrupts him in a cold voice. "I'm busy."

"_What can be more important than solving this? Come home now, Tyson we need to sort things out." _

"I'm with a friend and that's more important to me at the moment."

"_Tyson! Why can't you…?"_

"I'll solve this in my way, Hiro. Tell Gramps that I'm staying over at a friend's house. Take care." And he cuts the call.

"I didn't know that you could be that cold, Tyson." Kai tells him referring to the phone call.

"Well hanging around you must have affected me that way." He counters.

"Hn."

* * *

**A ****grey** little kitten mews suddenly and the sound makes Tyson flinch at his place in the sofa. He and Kai are currently sitting in front of the TV watching sports in silence. The little cat mews once more before it jumps up into Kai´s lap and sits down asking for caresses. Tyson's eyes widen as Kai gently touches the animal making it purr. The Russian continues to look at the TV while stroking the cat while Tyson stares at him.

"Is that your cat?" He asks in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Oh." Tyson reaches out to touch it "I never thought you would take care of an animal, Kai."

A smile grows on Tyson's lips as the kitten leans towards his hand purring for more comfort. Kai stops touching his pet when his fingers accidentally bump into Tyson's. The small contact was so sudden, so unexpected but it still sent a strange emotion through his being. Red eyes narrows as Kai regards Tyson; he can't deny that the champion's presence in his apartment makes him uneasy. The thing is; he doesn't know why or in what way.

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Kai demands.

"I had no idea that you liked cute animals like cats. It's so not like you I guess. This one is a real cutie, where did you get him?"

Kai looks at the TV again and regains his emotionless expression. But hose red eyes of his keeps something else, a weak warmth. Fingers bump again as Kai strokes his kitten's ears lovingly, touching the small but noticeable scar there. A small part of the right ear is lost. He recalls the day when he found Kio. The poor little thing was being violated by other larger and stronger cats in the neighbourhood. Kai was able to save him but the grey kitten was already drenched by blood. A fat orange cat was able to cut him deep. Kai has taken care of Kio ever since that day. He loves the animal more than he admits.

"I found him in the streets. His mother abandoned him."

"His ear!"

Tyson grabs Kai´s hand all of a sudden and bends it to get a better view of the ear. Crimson eyes grow as he once again glares at Tyson but the young man doesn't get it at all; he just continues to touch the scar gently. Hand sweat emerges from his palm at the warm touch and he feels oddly uncomfortable being there, literally holding hands with his team mate.

"You found him just in time it seems! Poor little…what's his name?"

"Kio." Kai answers in a distant tone while pulling his hand free from Tyson´s grip.

"Oh sorry." Tyson apologises quickly. "You should come up with a better name, Kio sounds kinda lame…"

"His name is Kio and it will remain that way."

Tyson stops touching the cat as he finally notices Kai´s bitter tone. The Japanese blader watches Kai for a moment, how he caresses the cat in a childish and loving way while his cold, stone stare is glued at the TV screen.

"You've have a soft side after all." Tyson murmurs.

Kai ignores him completely. He gets to his feet as he hears how his phone is vibrating from the kitchen. Kio mews in a disappointed tone but is quick to walk up to Tyson´s lap and lay down. Kai´s hard expression softens somewhat at this and he leaves the two by the TV. Entering the kitchen he sits down by the table and picks up his cell phone. He looks as the display but he can't recognise the member calling him. He presses the answer button.

"Hiwatari Kai."

"_Long time no see, It's Tala Ivanov."_

Kai´s relaxed pose grows tense as he recognises the voice. "What do you want?" He questions Tala in a defensive manner.

"_It's that the way you greet an old team mate? How cold of you."_ Tala chuckles from the other end of the phone. Kai doesn't answer and he forces Tala to continue by staying silent. _"…Some rumours has reached Russia Kai, is it true that you'll fight with the Bladebreakers this championships?"_

"Yes."

"_What happened to the idea of you joining us?"_

"Changed plans." He answers shortly.

"_You've to decide where you stand, Kai. You can't continue jump between teams like this."_ Kai notices how Tala´s voice has become a little colder than before. _"You won't like being our enemies in the dish." _

"Tala, do you seriously think that I'm scared of you?" It's Kai´s time to laugh. "I'll win the championships my way this time. I'm hanging up."

Kai puts away the phone rather carelessly. Talking with his former team sure make him recall his life in Russia, his betrayal _err,_ betrayals that Tyson puts it. Joining the Blitzkreig boys would have been a good idea but he can't leave his team now, not now when Tyson… When Tyson is…He clenches his fists. Pushing his body up from his sitting position Kai heads toward the living room again, only to find the Japanese lying fast asleep with Kio on in his arms. The kitten mews as a hello and crawls out from Tyson´s embrace and jumps to the floor. Red eyes linger on Tyson for a moment before he walks over to the chair by the window to get a blanket for him. Thinks would only get worse if he caught a cold, Kai thinks as he puts the blanket over his team mate's body.

* * *

**Tyson **sleeps deeply in Kai´s living room; he snores loudly as he lies there in a strange manner. His blanket is on the floor and he has a hand under his shirt and shows his bare stomach. He stops snoring suddenly and the peaceful expression on his face turns into a grimace. Turning to his side at the sofa he hugs himself and bends his knees to his chest; a groan leaves his lips. Hazelnut eyes snap open and Tyson dashes out of bed with a hand over his mouth.

Tyson bends in front of the toilet and let the puke fall out at last. He hurls violently, coughs as the terrible aftertaste of yesterdays food comes up again but he forces himself to get it all out. Tears start to fall by themselves as he thinks about his situation. Tyson throws up some more until it feels as if his stomach is all empty. Flushing the toilet he prepares himself to stand but a sudden dizziness keeps him on the bathroom floor.

"…Tyson?"

Brown eyes turn to the door way and a mental curse runs through Tyson's head as he sees how Kai stands there looking at him with a sleepy expression on his face. _Didn't I lock the door?_ But he doesn't get time to think it through because a new wave of puke flows up inside of his mouth. He turns to the toilet just in time to not spill everything on the ground and he let it out. Tyson doesn't care that Kai´s there watching him as he breaks down. His throat hurts like hell and it becomes really hard to breathe, tears fall freely down his cheeks reaching his mouth. He flushes the toilet for the second time and wipes his mouth free from puke and tears. Tasting the salt, he turns his head to face Kai. The rather shocked expression in the otherwise unemotional Russian doesn't make the situation better. Tyson sobs loudly as he gets on his feet and starts to approach his captain.

"This disease…this _cancer_ why did it choose me?" He asks Kai just as much as he asks himself.

Tyson doesn't care anymore about anything and he leans his head against Kai´s rock hard chest. Kai´s jumper absorbs the tears as he presses his face tightly to the other, seeking comfort. He can't stop his body from shaking; he can't control his pain and sadness anymore. Scared of dying, who doesn't fear the unknown? He feels how his captain tenses under his touch.

"The view I see now is the same as yesterday, the street I walk on is the same but the person I was will never show up again." Tyson murmurs against the soft material of Kai´s jumper.

Tyson feels how Kai slowly relaxes and a pair of hands grabs his shoulders in a somewhat gentle manner. Closing his eyes to let more tears fall he breathes out deeply in an attempt to ease the pain in his throat. Kai doesn't push him away but he doesn't say or do anything to comfort him; he just stares at the shorter man's trembling form. Kai´s own ache starts to grow inside of his chest and he has no idea why he's hurting.

"I want to go back in time." Tyson whispers. "I want to make a time machine and go back in time!! To the time when I… when we… still..." Tyson starts screaming desperately. "Fuck…fuck…fuck…"

Tyson starts to tremble even more and Kai does what he feels is natural, he puts his arms around the other's shoulders to keep him still and under control. Tyson sobs against Kai´s rising chest, the calm rhythm of his heart starts to accelerate. He feels safe in Kai´s arms somehow; the feeling of those two strong arms around him is quite nice and very comforting. Tyson never thought that he would be hugged by Kai like this in his whole lifetime. Kai is so much softer than he ever thought. But the silence between them makes him uneasy.

"Talk about Beyblade…. Talk about how you always beat me... Or that you're stronger, I won't get mad." Tyson tells Kai.

Both know that if this happened in before, if Kai bragged about his skills Tyson would have screamed; challenging him to able to prove it. The small request makes Kai understand how weak Tyson really has become; how his fire…His grip on Tyson tightens without him noticing.

"I can't do anything. Knowing about your disease I watch how you struggle from afar…But in the end I still can't do anything. I can only say what I think, like an idiot. It's just like my grandfather told me; I'm just a kid." Kai admits finally in a low voice, finally admitting that he cares about Tyson´s health.

Tyson´s blurry eyes become clear at this and he stirs in their embrace. But Kai´s strong arms keep him still and prevent him from looking into his eyes or at his face. His voice gets muffled by Kai´s now wet jumper but he says it anyways.

"It's not like that… you've always encouraged me…You listened when I said things that I couldn't tell the others. You're by my side. Thank you, Kai."

Something about what Tyson said makes Kai to loosen his grip on him and Tyson pulls away a little bit. Brown eyes, red by crying, narrows as he sees how his captain looks at him with wide eyes full of tears. Kai tries to fight back against these unwanted emotions. He fights to keep his tears for himself but when Tyson´s warm hand cups his cheek he's forced to close his eyes. Salty tears fall from his ruby eyes and connect with Tyson´s tanned skin. _Why am I crying as well? _Kai ponders.

* * *

**AN; thank you for reading! Please R&R if you want to get more! **


	5. Eyes can t lie

**An; Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts and favs! I never thought that so many of you liked this! One thing I want to say before you can read the chapter is that Beyblade never was a deep manga/anime. Well the American version wasn´t or the dub in general but my story is about something deep, sad and painful. So I´ll portrait the characters like I believe they would act in situations that hasn´t really occured in the serie. So I´m sorry if you think they´re OC or something! Now on with the story!

* * *

**Eyes don't lie  
Because Eyes don't speak  
Eyes, you can trust  
You can rely  
They don't hear  
They cannot speak  
They see what they want  
They close when they can't  
They trust themselves but not thee  
Trust your eyes, trust what you see  
In rage they are red, when sick…Yellow  
When sad they are dead,  
When in love they glow.  
Every emotion they will show  
You can read a mind through the eye  
Eyes convey truth, they don't lie.

* * *

**The Chief** hurries down the street toward his best friend's dojo, the genius green eyes are wide and he's breathing rapidly by exhaustion. He's as always holding his loyal laptop under his right arm everything is like it used to but his necktie is all messed up. Something must have happened, something that really couldn't wait. Kenny accidentally kicks a rock as he turns the corner by the entrance of Tyson's home and he nearly falls, but is able to get back his balance just in time.

"Tyson!" He shouts out of breath.

"T-man isn't here, dude."

Gramps answer him in a slightly depressed tone but Kenny doesn´t notice. The older Granger is currently cleaning the small pond in the yard and is standing with water reaching his knees. He has pulled up his hakama trousers so it won't get wet and is using some kind of net to get the old plants out of the water. Kenny regards him in silence for a moment before he takes of his shoes and sits down on the small stairs.

"Do you think he'll come back soon? I've something important to talk with him about."

"I've not seen him since three days back Chief. I don't know when he'll come back."

Kenny looks at Gramps with a huge question mark on his forehead. The brunette ponders on what Gramps said while turning on his laptop. _Tyson isn't here and hasn't been here for that long? Strange._

"Well when I called him he said we should all meet up at the usual spot, so I presumed we would meet here. He maybe referred to the river…"

Gramps look at Kenny for a moment before he returns to the pond in silence. His usual happy expression is somewhat gone and replaced by an empty one. Some minutes passes by before the sound of footsteps echo outside the entrance once again. Kenny looks up and his eyes meet Rei´s and Max´s the three friends smile at each other as a silent greeting.

"Chief you look stressed, what's up?" Rei asks him with an amused grin. His yellow cat eyes are glued at his necktie for a moment. Something sure is strange since Kenny hasn't dressed properly as he always does.

"Yes I'm stressed! The first teams will arrive today and we've not trained probably for days now!"

"Yeah I know… I'm gonna meet up with the All Stars at the airport later."

"And I with the White Tigers at the harbour..."

"Ah GUYS!" Kenny complains loudly. "What about OUR training?"

"Don't worry, we've trained enough. I feel that I could beat anything in my sleep." Max smiles sweetly, but it fades. "By the way, where's Tyson?"

"…I'll prepare some snacks."

Gramps walks up from the pond, balancing with his arms up high to not loose his balance and fall, and disappears into the dojo. Something about the tone he used tells the three that he doesn´t believe that his grandson will arrive. This makes Rei frown.

"Okay…something is strange here." Rei states the fact. "Why isn't Tyson here?"

"Gramps said he hasn't been around for several days."

"Eh?" Max looks at Kenny with a surprised expression.

The three members of the Bladebreakers sit in silence, thinking deeply. Rei frowns, believing that something sure is strange about Tyson nowadays, but what?

"To tell the truth, I think T-man has changed somewhat after the hospital incident." Max ponders out loud. "He's…not as hyper as before."

"His Beyblading skills have not been the same." Kenny nods for himself, agreeing.

"Yeah…" Rei agrees with an absent tone, still pondering about it all.

"His attitude has changed and not till the better in my opinion." An unexpected voice tells them from behind. The older Granger stands leaning against the wall behind them with his arms crossed over his chest. He's not looking happy at the moment, not at all. This only adds more fuel to their worries, especially Rei´s.

"What do you mean?" Rei asks Hiro.

"He's really irritating, well more than usual. I've tried to talk with him but he won't tell me what's wrong either."

"Well when you talk about the devil." Gramps tells them as he suddenly appears with some snacks.

The old man nods toward the entrance and just as he said, Tyson appears there together with Kai. The atmosphere gets really tense and wary as the two approaches the dojo but Tyson seems to ignore his family's stares while sending a carefree smile to Rei, Max and Kenny.

"_Don't you think the two of them seem closer than… usual?" _Max whisper to Rei.

Hiro glances at Max and Rei for a moment before he regards the two. Tyson meets his gaze with confidence as if he's fighting, while Kai walks calmly by his side like a silence guardian. But pain can be seen in the depths of Tyson´s eyes. Hiro has always known that Tyson had a special relationship with the cold Russian. A hate relationship of some sort but the air around the two feels strange; like they understand each other in a different level than before. _Indeed, they seem close; maybe Kai knows something I don't. _Hiro thinks.

"Welcome home." Gramps greets Tyson with a weak smile, but it's growing.

Tyson turns to face his grand father and a gentle smile grows at his lips. The old man can't resist smiling back at the youth. But the smile doesn't reach Hiro, not at all.

Kenny is quick to explain to Tyson that today is the day when several teams will arrive here in Japan. Tyson takes it calmly, the opposite of what the Chief was expecting, and the two of them argues about it a little. Something about that Tyson is still sick and isn't in form to compete while he insists that he's ready for anything anytime in a new, confident tone that has been gone for a long time now.

"That's why we came." Tyson explains. "Let's go and greet our old friends."

Rei and Max starts to smile brightly at this, since it for the first time feels like they're back in the old times when they were still teenagers, wild, free and unstoppable. A bit of the old spontaneous Tyson is back, and it eases their worries; for now.

* * *

**Max **is really excited as they're walking towards the airport where his old team, and of course his mother, will arrive soon. The blonde can't lie and say that he hasn't missed his mum Judy; he'll always be like that. It's hard to have parents who are working far apart from each other but he's so glad that they're not divorced. Family means everything for the half American, half Japanese guy and he can't see himself without them in the future.

The Tokyo airport is as busy as always and the crowded building is also very noisy. The people walks talking in cell phones, runs to the bathroom, plays with children so they won't cry; the aura is quite stressful. The Bladebreakers doesn't feel it though since they're used to the stress of travelling. They're all standing near the huge windows in heir wait for the American team to come. Tyson sits down on an empty bench with a sigh, feeling that his _chest cold_ tears at him slightly, a weak throbbing in his head makes him sigh once again. Rei regards Tyson for a while. His cat eyes notices his sighs and tired body langue.

"So Tyson, Gramps told us that you haven't been around the dojo for a while. Did something happen?"

Rei asks his team mate in a nonchalant tone but he's really interested in the answer. Kai, who's standing not too far away from Tyson, looks at Rei. The enigma is well aware of that the neko-jin is good at reading people and also very cunning, he might suspect something already.

"I got in a fight with Hiro and just wanted to leave, ya know?" The world champion answers with a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Haha well I know that you two isn't best friends sometimes. So what did you fight about? It must have been something bad for you to leave like that. Gramps was worried."

Kai frowns at Rei´s way to hide his true intensions while speaking. The Chinese young man's expression shows only worry as he talks but Kai can sense how he is searching for answers his questions doesn't really ask for. Tyson tenses at the question but brushes of his shock with a chuckle, Rei´s eyes narrow at this.

"He said that my attitude sucks and I told him to back off." Tyson explains in an amused tone, as if he's thinking it's funny.

Rei doesn't believe that Tyson´s attitude problem is enough to make him leave home but when he's about to ask more Max interrupts with a high voice.

"Mum!!"

"Oh…Maxie!"

There near the stands are the All Stars and his mother. The blonde Bladebreaker runs toward the woman dressed in a white robe and hug her close. His light blonde hair touches her longer and darker tresses in their embrace and everyone can see how the two resembles each other greatly. Judy, who now must be near her 50ties, looks the same as before except some grey hair and wrinkles around her sparkling dark blue eyes.

"I've missed you so much!" Max tells her with a large smile.

"Hey, Max! Long time no see!" The others greet him happily.

"_Some things will never change…"_ Kenny chuckles under his breath. _"Max and his mother complex." _

"Is that you Kenny?" A feminine voice utters.

A small, red blush covers Kenny's cheeks as he lays his eyes on a certain redheaded female blader. The Emily he once knew was short, had short orange hair and a pair of big, round glasses but the woman in front of him now is different. She's still wearing her tennis clothes under that long white robe but she's longer, curvier and prettier than before. Emily's hair is pulled up into a neat bun but some longer tresses reaches past her shoulders; framing her face nicely. Her eyes are encircled by a new pair of glasses that makes her look like a real office woman.

"H-hi Emily." Kenny stutters nervously. "Yeah, I'm Kenny. D-do you remember me?"

"Of course I remember you! You're…"

"The little geek with the glasses." Rick interrupts Emily. "The computer nerds have finally got together again!"

"Hey!!!!!" Emily and Kenny complain at the same time. "We're not nerds!"

"Rick!" Max smiles.

Rick grins at the blonde. The dark skinned American is as tall and well built as ever but something that has changed is his hair. His white ponytail has been cut short; something that people never thought would happen! His gangster look has also changed and his new style mentions that he's not the same street blader anymore; but a real pro. He's wearing the All Stars jacket, together with a pair of baggy jeans.

"Yo Maxie." He greets his former team partner with thumbs up.

"So Michael, why did you dye your hair again?" Tyson asks the baseball player.

Michael, the former team captain, and Eddy turns to face Kai, Rei and Tyson. Michael has a confident smile growing on his lips. The baseball loving beyblader has once again dyed his hair back into its purple/red colour but it's still long as during their third championship. Michael is still wearing that old, worn out baseball cap and his jacket. His baseball interest won't die.

"Haha…Well I got tired of all the _blonde jokes _ya know? So this will do."

"I'm glad that I live in Japan, not many blondes around except our little Max."

"Hahahaha!"

"Eddy, nice to see you." Rei greets the other.

The extremely tall, dark skinned member of the All Stars grins at the neko-jin with a silent challenge for a rematch in his eyes. Their last battle ended in a blast. He's still wearing red basket short with a matching shirt and shoes. His ears are full of peircings and his lack of hair on his head makes them stand out. Something that has changed is that he's growing a small beard on his chin.

"It's nice to be back." Is his short answer. "But Tyson, you're looking really skinny. You're not dieting are you?"

"Tyson on a diet? Never!" Michael laughs.

Rei frowns once again as he regards how Tyson tenses and looks away. The Japanese young man is just about to answer when Judy interrupts.

"We've to go and check in now guys!"

* * *

**The **Bladebreakers takes a break and chills at the dojo before they'll go and greet Rei´s old team. Tyson makes sure that he's nice to Gramps and he's quite surprised that the old man is as nice that he's towards him. It's like nothing happened between them at all. One thing bugs him though and that's the way Hiro literally ignores his presence in the house. His older brother talks and laughs with Rei, Kenny and Max but doesn't looks his way, but he's giving Kai strange looks from time to time and that bugs him even more.

"Here dudes! Some ice cold drinks!" Gramps tells them with a smile. "We've yesterday's onigiri in the kitchen so help yourself."

"Great Gramps, I love your onigiri but do you've mustard?" Max asks sweetly.

"Yes box! Ketchup and mustard are also in the kitchen."

"Great."

"It feels great to be back!" Tyson sighs in a content manner as he sits down with his feet on the table and an onigiri in each hand. "I've missed your food Gramps."

Hiro snorts at this and slaps Tyson´s feet away from the table. Tyson grunts but obeys and continues to sit properly while eating. He glares angrily at Hiro. His brother opens his mouth, probably to tell him some shit, but Tyson gets a surprise.

"Kai." Hiro calls Kai´s name in a stern voice while looking straight at Tyson.

Kai, who's sitting a little bit away from the others leaning against the wall, opens his eyes at Hiro´s call but he makes no move to answer him. His strong arms are crossed over his chest in a rebellious way and his crimson eyes connect with Tyson's for a second of time.

"Can I talk to you somewhere private?" Hiro notices how His brother's eyes flicker from himself to Kai and while turning to face Kai he sees how the Russian isn't looking at him either. _Tyson is hiding something and this makes me think that Kai is involved…so Kai, what do you really know?_ Kai starts to push himself from the ground slowly. "Let's talk in my room."

_In Hiro´s room? What the hell! _Tyson nearly chokes at this and an amused but sadistic grin appears on Hiro´s lips. Kai nods in silence with his intense eyes on Hiro but his whole pose tells Tyson that he's on edge by Hiro´s sudden need to talk to him. Kenny´s squeaky voice breaks the silence.

"Hurry up! Or all the onigiri´s will be gone…"

"Sure sure…" Hiro waves his hand as the two disappears down the small corridor.

* * *

**Kai **can't help but get on his defensive side as Hiro locks the door behind their backs. Something about being alone with Hiro, his former coach, makes him uneasy. They've never been close and Hiro´s stern expression tells Kai that he won't try to befriend him in anyway.

"Tyson was staying at your house right?" Hiro asks him.

Hiro sits down at the chair by his desk with his full attention on Kai. The enigma chooses to lean against the wall in his usual pose while meeting Hiro´s gaze straight on. This situation doesn't give of the feeling of a nice conversation it's more like a duel of some sort, or even a challenge.

"Yes." A short but honest reply.

"Why? Max lives closer and…"

"I asked him the same question." Kai interrupts in an ironic tone.

"…What are you to him anyway?"

This question surprises Kai a little and his answer gets swallowed and disappears for a moment. Kai is for once happy that his rough emotional training at the abbey taught him something about control over your expressions since this shock isn't something he wants Hiro to see. He's Tyson's captain and he's his …friend but Hiro´s tone seems to accuse him of being something else to Tyson. This creates a strange emotion in the centre of his stomach, a feeling he can't read or understand so he labels it as an irritation toward Hiro.

"I am his captain… I thought you knew that." Another ironic remark from Kai´s side.

"Kai. Seriously, I know that something is wrong with my brother. And I also know that you know what the problem is. So spit it out."

"Why should I?" Kai snaps at the demand.

"I'll give you no options Hiwatari. But why did he turn to you?"

"Hn. I guess he didn't trust you enough."

"What the hell do you know? We're his family and you're just…a friend. We grew up together of course he trust me."

"So where were you during his first and second championship? You _left _him, Hiro. You and your father left him alone in all those years and now you're thinking that he would play _happy family _with you? Pathetic." Kai doesn't know where he gets all this words from since they're just escaping from his mouth freely. He's angry with Hiro and he gets angrier by the minute. He isn't sure that Tyson feels this way about Hiro but he, himself, wants to blame the older Granger. That strange gut feeling is taking over and he suddenly wants to protect Tyson at any costs. "Gramps is the only one who stayed."

"…" Hiro is suddenly eerie quiet.

Kai decides that this conversation is over and he heads toward the door, unlocks it and leaves without any Hiro stopping him.

"I was there for him during those times that´s the difference between you and I." Kai hopes that what he has said is the truth.

* * *

**Tyson´s **eyes widen as he spots Kai down the corridor. Kai is walking away from Tyson slowly so the Japanese youth hurries to catch up with him. Something about Kai´s tense, strong back tells Tyson that he's not in a good mood at the moment but he has to get to know what his brother wanted to talk with him about. An uncomfortable feeling in his gut tells him that they talked about him. He grabs Kai´s arm from behind and the Russian stops walking but he avoids eye contact.

"What did Hiro ask you about?"

"He asked me about you."

Tyson moves so Kai has to look at him. Kai suddenly thinks that the corridor is too narrow for two persons standing side by side. His red eyes flicker. _Why is it harder to look Tyson in the eye than Hiro?_

"About me?" Tyson sighs deeply. "…Kai, what should I do? Rei knows something…and Hiro…"

Tyson doesn't notice that his hand is still on Kai´s arm since his full focus is on the enigma's face. That same strange and unreadable emotion starts to stir inside of Kai once again, the same tickling irritation, no…it's something else. A frown appears on his face as he pushes away Tyson's hand.

"...."

"Kai!" Tyson utters slightly surprised and panicked by his silence.

"Maybe it's better if they know?" Kai tells him coldly while turning around so Tyson faces his back.

"What do you mean? Hey, Kai! You didn't tell him did you?" Tyson's voice gets higher.

Kai´s brows twitch at his team mate's reaction. He knew that Tyson was stressed about his sickness and about keeping all a secret but it seems that he's more strained than he thought. And it's rubbing off on him too. This thing with Rei and Hiro today only shows how much it'll cost them to keep it hidden and Kai starts to doubt that it's worth it.

"I've not told him but you've to tell _them _Tyson. You won't be able to relax while trying to hide your condition to the world. So tell them, and you'll be able to _live _your last days." That's the larges amount of comfort Kai can give while trying to act somewhat indifferent. The time he accidentally started crying in front of Tyson is something he doesn't want to experience again.

"But…"

"If you won't tell them, then I'll do it for you." Kai threatens him.

He's in the end doing what's best for Tyson, right?

Kai faces Tyson as if to give him a last choice but he wishes he didn't. Because his wide hazelnut brown yes that's looking up at him can't lie. Tyson is terribly scared, stressed and…sick. Why does his panicked stare hurt Kai so? Why does he wish he could take the pain away?

The truth will always hurt no matter when it's told.

So let's get it over with.

* * *

**AN; so I hope you liked it! This chapter wasn´t as deep at the others since I wanted people around the main characters to notice a change in Tyson. **

**I loved to describe the All Stars as more mature bladers! "My" Emily is so cute! hahah. You´ll meet the White Tigers in the next chapter! **

**R&R if you want to! And BTW merry christmas to you all! **


	6. Untitled

**AN; Sorry for the late update but here´s the next chap!

* * *

****Tyson** can't force a smile to his lips anymore. His cheeks are already hurting from doing so, a fake smile is tiring. The strong wind caresses his tanned skin as they reach the harbour at last. His hair moves gracefully with the wind and frames his face in a nice way. The large waves hits the bridge with power and the water hits them from time to time. Tyson keeps his fringe out of his way so he's able to see the team he fought against during his first championship outside Japan.

"Welcome to Japan." Rei greets them with a broad smile; his fangs show.

A girl, dressed in only pink, greets him with a large hug nearly squeezing the air out of him. Mariah is the same girl as she was when they last saw her but her body has developed since that time. She looks like a beautiful young woman instead of a small kid.

"Hi Rei! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you guys too." Rei can't stop grinning.

"Long time no see, pal." Lee smirks.

Lee, the leader of the white tigers, looks really handsome now when he has his black hair short instead of his usual ponytail. Rei shakes his hand. Gary and Kevin walks up to him and Rei looks at the person who used to be the teams dwarf. Kevin is now taller and more grown up that he was before. Gary seems to not have changed at all. He is the big guy Rei always has known and liked.

While Rei talks with his old team again the rest of them stays a little in the background. Sure, they glad to see them again but knowing that it's Rei that's their best pal they stay back so they won't interrupt something.

* * *

**Kai **sits calmly by his kitchen table with a cup of tea in his hands. Tyson sits in front of him in silence with his cell phone in his hands. Kai looks at Tyson with his intense crimson eyes as he is silently telling him to hurry up. This makes the younger man frown a little and his eyes return to the phone screen and starts typing a message.

"_**Hey guys! There's something I've to tell you. Meet me at my place tomorrow. Tyson."**_

It's really hard for him to write. He rewrites it twice before he gives up with a deep sigh, scratching the back of his head. Every inch of his body screams as he puts his thumb against the "send" button. It's almost as he is suffocating slowly. He bites his lip as he finally sends the message to his team-mates. He regrets his actions the second after and groans angrily at the phone but decides to put it down before he throws it out the window. Tyson cups his cheeks in his hands and sighs once more.

"Shit." He groans.

Kai sips at his tea calmly but he's still looking at Tyson. Inspecting him somehow, searching for signs of an emotional breakdown. He looks so frail. Kai can´t ignore the foreign feeling growing inside of him as he looks at Tyson´s face.

"How should I tell them?" Tyson asks Kai helplessly.

"Tell them the truth." Kai answers like it's something anyone would know.

But Kai´s calm interior is demolished when he sees the despair in Tyson's face. Before this happened he knew Tyson as a loudmouthed idiot but now when they've spent more time together he have noticed how his illness tears him down slowly. His cheerful and confident smile is nearly never at his lips anymore; the smile that he hated back then has become something he now longs to see. Kai looks away suddenly.

"Now, call your grandfather." Kai hands him the cell phone again, avoiding eye contact with the other.

Tyson takes the phone with a pained expression on his face. Since Gramps don't have a cell he is forced to talk to him instead, and that's twice as hard. He dials his home number with butterflies in his stomach, the insects in his gut seems to become more active by each passing second without anyone picking up. His whole body turns ice cold as a familiar voice greets him at the other side of the line. Tyson sighs to calm down before he starts to speak.

"Hi Gramps… It's Tyson here."

Kai glances at him in silence.

"I wonder… is it okay for me to move back home again?… I've something I need to talk to you about."

His words sound hesitant and slow but he's fighting to get them out of his mouth. He's fighting against his fears. Kai understands that he has been accepted as Tyson utter: "Thank you."

This makes Kai stomach turn somehow, reason unknown to him. It's like he's pushing him to do something for his won good while he's secretly wishing that he didn't have to…move away from here. Kai shrugs. Kai has never been the type who doesn't know what he wants before and this strange thoughts and emotions angers him.

"I´ll come by later ok? Yes, I´ll be there before dinner."

Kai focuses on the cup in his hands.

"Bye."

"That went smoothly." Kai states in a biter tone, but this goes unnoticed by Tyson.

"Yeah. I'm lucky that Hiro didn't pick up." He tells him in a relived tone.

Kai´s eyes follow Tyson as he exits the room to go and prepare himself for the reunion with his family. Kai has never seen Tyson nervous, even though most people would think that competing would be more frightening that meet your family. But in Tyson's case stuff are different.

Kai flinches a little as his cat, Kio, touches his legs asking for comfort. Kai reaches down to hold the animal in his arms, stroking it gently. Kio starts to purr after a while and the sound if it calms Kai somewhat. The Russian has no clue why he's feeling the way he's feeling. Something about Tyson has changed him somehow and he fears that change. He has spent a couple of days with his team-mate now and it was really bothersome at first but now…things are different. His home will sure feel emptier than ever when he leaves.

* * *

**Tyson **can't sit still. He's so nervous, so scared and uneasy and it makes him want to hurl. Have you heard of someone who died of uneasiness? He has already been to the toiled twice already and if he tries to sneak off again he´s sure that Kai will stop him. Tyson touches his stomach to calm himself down as he regards his friends talking happily to one another_. Will their happy expressions change when they know the truth? _The fresh scent of green tea surrounds them as Gramps and Hiro arrives with some afternoon snacks. The older man smiles broadly with a sincere expression on his face. It makes Tyson cringe.

"Yo little dudes! Eat as much as ya want, kay?" He tells them in his own way.

"Thanks! I love these biscuits!" Max exclaims loudly.

Kenny and Max helps themselves with the snacks while Rei silently drinks the tea while giving Gramps compliments; telling him that he´s close to Gustaf´s , Robert´s butler´s , vanilla tea ´s standard. This makes the old man smile broadly.

"We have to savour this moment since it's probably the last free time we'll get before the tournament!" Kenny warns them. "Oh by the way, Tyson you said that you wanted to tell us something, so spit it out!" Kenny tells him, probably thinking that Tyson has something very interesting to say. Like that he has a new move that no one can beat or something like that. Tyson looks at his friend for a second before he nods slowly. He puts down his cup of tea, since his hands are shaking uncontrollably, and sits down. He has never been afraid of facing an entire stadium full of fans but facing this situations scares him like never before.

"Hello…guys." Tyson addresses them to gain their attention. "I'm really glad that you all came here today. It was some time since we all were together like this, right?…I've something important to tell you so please…sit down."

Their attentive expressions turn into something else as Tyson asks them to sit down. By asking them to do so he has already told them that something is wrong, even though he didn't use words. Everyone does as Tyson said and the young man´s eyes flicker as Rei glances at him with a strange look; as if he's been waiting for this explanation for some time now. The room grows eerie silence.

"I've to asks you not to interrupt me while I'm speaking… since… this is… hard to speak about…"

"Tyson?" Max utters his name in concern.

The blonde half American sits between Rei and Kenny at the coach and when Tyson looks at him he can't avoid Rei´s calculating eyes. The neko-jin´s golden eyes stare at him in a very intense way that forces him to look away.

"So please listen before you say something, okay?" Tyson forces a smile to his lips. " I want to apologise to you all as a start. Sorry for being such a jerk during these last weeks."

"Finally, the apology I wanted." Hiro says out loud with a snarl.

Tyson closes his mouth with a deep and heavy sigh at the remark from his brother. He hates the way his nerves make it harder for him and Hiro´s bitterness doesn't help him either. He´s slowly suffocating as he tries to tell them what he has been through and what lies ahead of him.

"I got sick some weeks ago and fell unconscious during a practice…" Tyson starts to explain slowly. He looks at his friends and family and notices how they all recall the time he was rushed to the hospital. Tyson looks at Kai for some unknown reason as he continues to speak. "I told you all that I had a chest cold but that was… a lie."

Tyson can literally hear how the people around him start to think about what he just said, but he doesn't look away from Kai. His throat starts to hurt in a very painful manner and he's not sure if he can continue this without a shaking tone. He has to fight back his tears. Kai´s intense stare helps him somehow, his crimson eyes is like a warm safety net that's there only for him to use. _Kai will catch me if I fall…_ He has never felt that way about Kai before but it gives him courage to keep going.

"What do you mean, Tyson?" Kenny asks him.

"Be quiet." Kai snaps at everyone, clearly stating that Tyson doesn't want any interruptions.

Tyson bites his lip as the pain starts to get too much for him. He closes his eyes to wash away the traces of tears before they spill over his eyelids. He takes a deep breath to clear his burning throat before he continues. He has accepted this fight and he won't step down now.

"Dr McKain told me t-that I…g-got a large tumour in my…head."

Tyson sighs and looks away from Kai for the first time to look at the others. Pure shock and disbelief are clear in their expressions. The silence between him and the others get eerie and uneasy and utterly uncomfortable. The tension in the air can't get more electric than this.

"Guys I've _c-c-cancer_ and…I'm dying." He states facts to break the spell.

If you dropped a nail you would be able to hear it clearly since everyone is so silent.

"Haha! What a funny one Tyson, but it's not April´s fool today." Max tells him with a smile.

The rest of his team and his family looks at him in silence as if they are waiting for him to deny everything he said. Max´s smile that slowly fades makes it so hard to act composed. When the cheerful young man understands the reality it feels as if Tyson's heart is about to explode. He looks away with his hand on his heart.

"Seriously…I´m…I´m dying."

Another silence spread between them and the only sound you can hear is the steady ticking of the clock. One second feels like an hour. But it's Rei who breaks it.

"So…that´s is the reason behind your strange behaviour…" Rei murmurs out loud with his usually sharp cat eyes looking sad and defeated as he looks at Tyson. He had known that something was wrong with his friend, that he was hiding something but he had no clue that it was this serious. He can't believe it.

"Kai, you knew this didn't you? Why the hell didn't you say something?!" Hiro howls suddenly.

The older Granger glares dangerously at the Russian but Kai doesn't move an inch or replies at his outburst. He stares back at Hiro with a cold expression that won't be broken. This break everything and everyone understands that what Tyson tells them is the terrible truth. His grandfather, who has been listening in silence, looks so fragile all of a sudden and his usual cheery attitude is gone. When Hiro understands that Kai won't answer him he turns to his younger brother.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier!?"

Tyson is about to answer when he notices how his blonde best friend cries. The world champion flinches by this and stays silent. Rivers of tears falls from Max´s eyes and he sobs loudly. Kenny tries to calm his friend down but Tyson can easily see how the Chef is also fighting back his tears. Tyson reaches out to them slowly but hesitates. Their pain hurts him too.

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Gramps serious voice utters.

Tyson feels guilt as he looks into his grandfather's eyes.

"There's an operation but there's a high risk of dying. I choose not to."

"You should take that risk!" Hiro yells out.

The younger Granger rushes up and grabs Tyson harshly. Tyson squirms as his brother's fingers hurt him. The two of them stares at each other for a long time, Hiro with an expression that changes from anger to sorrow and Tyson with sadness in his eyes. Hiro witnesses how his beloved brother is fighting back tears, how he's struggling to stay upright and standing. It makes him understand that his pain is nothing compared to Tyson´s. The fighting spirit he saw during his fights is still there in Tyson´s misty eyes and he understands that Tyson won't undergo such a dangerous surgery and risk the time he still has left.

"How long do you…have?" He whispers.

"A-about…five m-months now."

And hell broke loose.

* * *

**The **comforting sound of rain falling on the roof of the dojo calms Tyson's nerves. He lies in his bed looking up at noting in particular while thinking of too much at the same time. A soft groan leaves his lips as a headache starts to grown. It has become a habit to swallow two red pills when his head starts to throb and he does it automatically.

Everyone is now aware of his condition and it both worries him and makes him relieved. There's no need for him to hide anymore and everything will become so much easier from now on. He'll be able to die in peace all thanks to Kai. Hiwatari Kai, his strongest rival and friend, it´s he who made him take the step and tell everyone.

A soft sigh leaves his slightly parted lips as he once again gets into bed. He can't help but think about his older team-mate. The way he has supported him during this time is something he thought he would never do, for anyone. A warm feeling travel from his stomach until it warms his whole being. _Has Kai always been this…nice?_ Tyson finds himself missing the enigma's presence all of a sudden.

He can hear how Hiro and his grandfather are talking to each other from the kitchen. The subject is obvious to him and he decides to ignore their silent attempts to make themselves invisible. He knows that it's a hard time for the two of them, with his team as well, and he hates himself for causing them pain. White sheets gets messy as he turns around to block away their voices.

_So now what?_ What will happen next? Is his life going to end like this, him lying here restlessly just waiting for the death god to get him? Tyson opens his eyes and stares at one of his four walls. His eyes move over an old poster of him and the gang, a photo who was taken during their first championship in Russia. He can't remember a time where he felt as happy as he felt back then with the trophy and all.

_I want to feel that once again…before my time is out.

* * *

_**AN; end of chapter. I hope you liked it. My insperation for this story is running dry but I´ve some small ideas so don´t worry! But I would like to know all your thoughts so far and what you think will happen next. I would love to hear it. ANyway, R&R if you like. **


	7. Bonds

**AN; Thank you for the really awesome reviews! They all makes my days brighter. So as a thanks from me, I wrote a pretty long chapter to you. I hope you´ll enjoy it. And the poem below, I think it´s great and so true. Enjoy the chapter!**

_**No one really knows what kind of bond we share  
And even if I told them they probably wouldn't care  
You are very dear to me I hope you know it's true  
And now that you are sick tell me what that I should do?**_

__

* * *

**Hiro **stomps into Tyson´s room the next morning without caring about the fact that his little brother is still trying to sleep. His eyes catches a glimpse of the many bottles of pills on Tyson´s desk and he curses himself for not have noticed it earlier. Dark circles are visible under his eyes after the lack of sleep and Hiro looks really drained and tired as he moves around. He glances at Tyson´s still sleeping form. _That guy can sleep through a hurricane…_Strong hands grab the sleeping form on the floor and shake him quite harshly.

"Tyson, it's time to get up now."

A low groan leaves the champion's lips as he's out of his dream. Brown eyes flicker open as he's slowly regaining his focus. A yawn leaves his mouth and he scratches the back of his head. His quite misty eyes get clear as he notices the person who disturbed his sleep. Hiro is still hurrying with something in his room and when he throws a set of clothes towards Tyson, the younger Granger starts to get what's going on.

"Hiro what are you doing?"

Tyson looks at the old shirt Hiro threw at him with a confused expression. He´s slightly angry at Hiro for entering his room without knocking but something about the whole situation makes him more confused.

"Preparations. We're leaving to town in fifteen minutes. Get dressed, hurry up."

Hiro grabs the bottles of medicine and walks out of his room like as if the house is on fire.

"Hey!" Tyson yells out, he wants an explanation.

He sighs as he pulls on the shirt over his head, puts on some jeans and walks out of his room. Stuff like this only makes his daily headache worse. His grandfather is sitting on one of the chairs in the kitchen talking to someone on the phone. Tyson frowns as he notices how the old man talks politely instead of his usual voice and accent. _Something is going on here…_

"What's going---" He tries to ask what's going on but he gets interrupted.

"Tyson, get into the car!"

Something about the tone Hiro uses makes him obey. Tyson walks into the hallway and puts on his long sleeved jacket while trying to hear his grandfather's conversation on the phone. He doesn't like where this is going even though he can't understand it. A strange and uneasy feeling in his stomach makes him want to puke. This stress isn't making him feel any better. The cold breeze hits him in the face as he walks from the dojo to their car, it makes his cheeks turn red. Tyson has never liked the cold. He sits down and closes the door with a bang. It takes about five minutes before Hiro and Gramps arrives and the two of them sits down starts the car and starts driving in silence.

"Where are we going?" Tyson dares to ask at last.

"…To the hospital." His grandfather tells him in an eerie calm voice.

"Eh…why?" He asks them even though he can guess the reason behind it.

"Did you think we would do nothing? Tyson, even though we fight a lot I won't just stand there and look when you're fading away in front of me. You're my brother for God's sake!"

Tyson gets no chance to think about what he said since the reckless way he's driving the car scares the shit out of him. Hiro´s driving skills are even worse than Gramps! Tyson leans back and puts on his safety belt with a terrified expression on his face. The terrible feeling in his guts worsen by each passing second.

"Dr McKain said that we could meet him immediately." Gramps tell Hiro. "Don't forget to turn off your cell-phones before you enter." He adds after some time.

* * *

**Tyson **feels strange as he meets Dr McKain´s gaze as they meet near the reception. He's wearing the same glasses as he did the last time they met, Tyson can recall how those framed eyes looked him with concern when he told him the news. His grandfather shakes McKain´s hand sincerely, Hiro does the same while Tyson merely nods.

"You can follow me." The white clothed man tells them before heading toward a door not far away.

The three Grangers follow the doctor through the long corridor with white walls, their steps echoes between these said walls and it makes the place sound deserted. No one is walking there except them and this makes Tyson think that all the patients here are unable to leave the rooms. A shiver runs down his spine.

"Here we are, my office." McKain opens the door for them and they enter in silence. "Please sit down."

A déjà vu feeling invades him as he sits down in the same chair as he sat when he was told about the tumour in his head. A tense silence spread between them since no one knows how to start the conversation.

"Tyson, how are you?" McKain asks him.

"I'm ok." He answers shortly, not really sure how he should answer.

"He's not ok." Hiro interrupts. "You know that doctor. Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I've talked about this with Tyson before. He chose to do nothing."

"But you can't!!!!!" Hiro snarls. "He's still a kid and…"

"He is of legal age and is able to decide by himself."

Tyson look at the doctor with surprise. Hiro frowns but stays silent glancing at his little brother. This makes Tyson understand that his family can't change his decision in here nor sign some papers that forces him to be cut open. It makes him feel a little more at ease in this white place. He is still able to control the remaining time as he wishes.

"You mentioned a surgery…is the possibility still there?" Gramps asks silently.

This makes Tyson's heart skip a beat. _What do he mean? I won't do it. _

"That surgery was possible a month ago and I don't have a clue about if the tumour has grown since that check up. We could always see if it's by doing some x-rays."

Tyson´s earlier gratefulness toward the man disappears at that statement and his chest grows cold. They're all trying to make him change his mind, trying to find a way to save him. He's happy about that, that they want him to live on, but the operation was almost impossible back then and it has been a month…it can't be possible now. _Why hold on to that possibility? _A small amount of anger rages at this.

"I won't undergo a pointless surgery." He tells them flatly, end of story.

Hiro is about to say something when his grandfather puts his hand on his shoulder to silence him. The old man looks at Tyson with a pair of nearly empty eyes, traces of tears are still there, and he starts to speak.

"I can't force you to do anything anymore, T-man." A quiet sigh leaves his dry lips. "But a check up isn't too much, right? I want to see the _thing_ that's killing you."

Tyson can't help but feel stunned by the man's sudden request. _I owe them that right?_ Brown eyes look at the floor for some time while he's in deep thought. He can't forget that he's not the only one suffering from this pain. So a picture of the tumour is something he can give them.

"Well?" McKain asks Tyson for an answer.

"I´ll do it."

A weak smile graces his grandfather's face at this and the doctor can't help but nod in agreement. The champion doesn't know if he should smile or cry at the moment so he stays silent.

"Then I´ll go and prepare. Tyson I´ll get you some clothes so you can change."

"Sure."

* * *

**They **follow the doctor though that empty corridor once again, heading for the room where Tyson´s newly taken x-rays are being inspected. He can see how his brother and grandfather are fighting to stay calm as they enter; Tyson can't blame them. They're greeted by darkness as they step into the room but a bright light coming from several screens forces them to squint.

"This is the picture we took a month ago." McKain explains as he puts up a x-ray on one of the screens.

The silence grows heavier as they stare at the black and white picture where a quite large, white spot invades the space that should have been black. Tyson, who has seen it before, doesn't react at the size of it but he hears a low curse coming from his brother. Tyson hates how his condition has changed the two of them. Hiro is more irritated than ever before and the always-happy old man is as quiet as a mouse.

"Here is the results of today's check up."

Tyson´s brown eyes are glued at the picture in the man's hand and he follow every movement he does until he has put it up on the screen beside the old x-ray. He looks at it for a very long time but he doesn't seem to be able to understand what he's seeing. The white spot has grown larger but not as much as he expected it to.

"It's not a big change…" Hiro states relived.

"Sorry to say this but; it's. You see this line here?" He points at a grey line that goes between the tumour and the skull. "That's an important vein. If the tumour grows more in this direction it'll stop the blood there and lack of oxygen, or bleedings, might occur."

Tyson´s whole body becomes ice cold at the explanation and he touches his forehead unconsciously. He can't hear anything nor see at that moment; he's lost inside of his thoughts. Why did the fact hit him so hard?

"Tyson, how are you feeling?" The doctor asks him.

"My…head hurts."

"I´ll get you some new medicine for that." The expression tells Tyson that McKain knew this, his headache is due to the growing tumour.

"Doctor, there's no hope, right?" Hiro asks at last.

McKain looks at him for a while with a troubled expression on his face. He's struggling about how he should tell them the truth. A deep sigh leaves his lips and he tells them.

"You can always pray for a miracle."

* * *

**They **sit in silence as Hiro drives on their way home. No one tries to break the silence either. Tyson feels empty as he's sitting there alone in the backseat, so he pulls up his cell and turns it on. It doesn't take long till the screen shines telling him that he got a message, or rather, four. He frowns as he reads the first one.

"_**Hey Tyson, R U alive?!"**_ From Max.

He looks at the messages he received earlier.

"_**Tyson, can we talk?" **_From Max.

Tyson smiles weakly as he understands that his blonde friend must have become worried since he didn't reply at the message. He types that he's okay and that he has been to the hospital for the whole day. He continues to read the next one.

"_**Are you aware of that your cell-phone only have…" **__No I don't want to refill it. _Tyson sighs at the boring message. _Next!_

Tyson's chocolate brown eyes widen a fraction as he sees who sent the message, or rather, the number of the person that tried to reach him. He doesn't know why but his temperature seems to change as he looks at that familiar number again. Biting his lip, he presses the button to open the message. _When did my hands become so unsteady?_ Tyson holds his breath unconsciously as his eyes move over the letters.

"_**You've one missed call from the number xxxxxxxx." **_

_He called me? _Tyson pushes the "back" button to look at the name once more, he didn't see wrong. This makes him very confused; Hiwatari Kai called him.

"Tyson."

_Why did he call me? _Kai never calls Tyson if it isn't an emergency or if he slept in when they're supposed to be training. So he can't find the reason behind his missed call and it makes him both excited and feel bad.

"Tyson!"

Tyson flinches as he realises that someone has been calling his name. He meets Hiro´s eyes in the mirror for a moment before he turns to look at the road in front of him.

"I want you to know that I…. That we…We'll support you from now on. So don't ever think that you're alone in this, ok?"

Tyson looks up from his phone at this since the sincerity in his brother's voice surprised him. Hiro, who always bothered him somehow, acts as if he really cares and it makes Tyson's chest hurt. Gramps turns around in his seat to gaze at his grandson with a gentle but tired smile indicates that he agrees with Hiro. Some say that a sickness can bring a family but this family is still missing one person and this makes him quite sad.

* * *

**Tyson **lies in his bed looking at his cell phone with a distant expression on his face. He has just taken some of his new pills against the headache so he's waiting for the medicine to take away the pain. Max or Kai has not replied or called back and he doesn't have to strength to take the first step towards a conversation with any of them. He has no clue about what Kenny or Rei are doing but he thinks that they're with the white tigers or something.

When the throbbing in side of his skull eases a bit and he decides to spend the rest of the day in front of the TV. There's a show about some guy who helps to build new houses to people in need, one of these super hero movies and a documentary about butterflies; this makes him sigh. He looks up as he sees the outlines of Hiro through the thin wall of bamboo. Hiro stops a little as he sees Tyson there on the coach but continues on toward the kitchen.

"Do you want anything?"

"Do we have ice cream?" Tyson asks.

"Yeah, I´ll bring you some."

"Thanks."

Tyson loves how the cold cream makes his throat feel as he swallows it. Hiro sits down at his side with a piece of pizza in his hands, some leftovers from some days earlier.

"So what are you going to do now?" Hiro asks without facing him. It's a very heavy question but he tries to act indifferent about it all; pretending that the TV show is much more interesting. He looks very composed. "Everything has changed." He adds.

Tyson stops eating and looks down at the floor in silence while he thinks. Hiro glances at him from the corner of his eye when the silence grows longer.

"I don't know…" Tyson murmurs quietly.

Tyson continues to look down as the seconds passes by but he flinches as his brother's arm suddenly touches his shoulder. Hazelnut brown eyes move from the hand on his shoulder to Hiro´s face. The way he looks at him makes him feel very strange. He's looking at him with a really sad face as if he's fighting back his tears and he embraces him all of a sudden. Tyson gasps surprised against Hiro´s chest at this but he stays still.

"Don't you dare… Don't you dare die before I'm mentally prepared Tyson!"

That simple sentence makes Tyson's chest grow warm slowly. Hiro has always been the one he tried to copy, the one who was his idol during his childhood but he has never seen him this sad before. This shows him how much his brother really cares about him and it makes him happy, but also very sad. It hurts so much and Tyson feels that something as small as and mean remark about him would make him to break down. He's so emotionally weak now and Hiro´s warmth, protection and kindness are almost too much for him to handle.

"Hiro…" Tyson addresses him in a quiet voice. "You're gonna make me cry and that's…not cool."

"It's cool to cry."

Hiro isn't able to finish that sentence before Tyson feels how a wet liquid touches his forehead. The whole sensation becomes too great for him and tears falls down freely down his cheeks as he finally leaves his stupid pride behind and cries.

* * *

**Some days **have passed since the visit at the hospital and during those days Tyson have spent his time relaxing and thinking about his situation. _How long can I keep on with this? I don't know… all I know is that I've to choices; stay wrapped in blankets and get on with dying, or get with the things I want to do before I die and somehow get on with living._ Tyson sighs deeply at this and he forces himself to sit up at last. And it's at that time that he takes the decision to live the time that's left instead of wasting it in his bed.

There are loads of things that he wants to do or achieve before he'll be okay with dying, so much he wants to see and experience before it's too late. He remembers a time, were he must have been around the age of 9, when he and his class had an assignment to create a list that's ranking the things you want to do in life. A grin grows on his lips as he recalls how he read his wishes in front of his class that day.

"I want to buy a cheeseburger without cheese, I want to walk on the Great Wall of China backwards ehm…I want to become the bestest Beyblader in the world! And dye my hair white. See how many peas I can get into my nose without sneezing…I want to do it all!"

A chuckle leaves his slightly parted lips as he remembers how his sensei looked at him with a confused expression. He didn't understand it back then, but those goals were rather childish just as he was at the age of 9. What if he created a new one that fits the time limit and his situation? That would give him a reason to continue on since he has to do all the stuff that he has jotted down without any _´buts´._ A new light starts to glow in his eyes at the idea and he's quick to start his computer.

* * *

**When **Tyson is content with his newly created list he understands that he can't reach several of his goals alone. He decides to call Kenny, the genius who used to help him with everything when they were younger. He dials the number that he has memorised and waits until someone picks it up.

"_The chief is on the line."_

"Hey Kenny it's Tyson. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out or something?"

Tyson's slightly confident smile fades as the silence on the other side of the line makes him uneasy. Something about this feels strange and he'll soon find out why.

"…Eh well that sounds cool but I don't…have time at the moment." Kenny tells him at last in a very hesitant voice.

"…Okay?" _**Is this the Kenny that used to rush to my house whenever he could?**_

"You know, I've to…I've to prepare since the tournament is coming up. Sorry."

Tyson frown at this since he easily can detect the excuse his friend uses. He knew that this would affect everyone when he told them but it still hurts when Kenny lies so he won't have to come over. Kenny fights his pain too, Tyson understands that, but if he distances himself it'll only become more painful and hard to accept in the end. Something else is that Kenny said that he had to prepare, but his tone didn't include Tyson, as if he's excluded in the competition now.

"Oh, I understand Kenny you must be really busy, heh?" Tyson plays along with fake enthusiasm.

"_Yeah…" _Tyson detects regret in his friend's voice.

"Then I´ll see you some other time. Bye."

Tyson hangs up on him before the chief gets a chance to reply. He sits there with the phone in his hand while looking at nothing in particular. He realises that so much have changed since the time when he and the team trained carelessly together some months ago; everything is different now. _Doesn't Kenny see that I need his support now? It's in these times that we need to stick together…_ Tyson scratches the back of his head in a stressed manner.

He flinches when the picture of Kai enters his mind out of the blue. Those intense crimson eyes that resemble the fire of his fierce bitbeast makes him shiver as he thinks of the way he has been by his side. _Kai has always been by my side…in one way or another. _Tyson looks at the message he got some days ago when he called him during his hospital visit. Why are the mere letters of his name stirring up his emotions so much? Kai has always made him feel during the years as team-mates but nothing like what he's feeling now.

Back when he was around twelve, or maybe thirteen years old he hated the guy. He was always so cold, distant and even cruel. He didn't care about anything besides gaining power and his betrayal hurt Tyson deeply. When he was fourteen he started to understand Kai more and his hatred faded. His cold and dark past made Tyson feel sad and depressed. Around the time when Ozuma challenged him he would say that he and Kai became friends for real and instead of hatred towards each other they became rivals. He was able to peek at Kai´s true personality that Boris, Voltaire and the Abbey has tried to erase from his memory.

Tyson smiles at his own memories. He was _betrayed _once again as he though back then when Kai left him to join his old Russian team again. But now he understands that he only did that to ensure that the two of them would meet in the dish again, as rivals. He remember how alive he felt when they battled, he felt so whole.

But now; what does he feel? Tyson looks at the number and hesitates to push the "call" button.

* * *

**Kai **can't help but glare as he recognises the young men outside his door. He was awaken by their loud knocking on the door and since he was up really late yesterday to train this sudden visit makes him really irritated. The four Russians gazes at him with different expressions and Kai don't want to know why there here.

"Happy as always, Kai?" Bryan teases him with a sadistic grin on his pale lips.

The dangerous Kuznetsov is as sadistic as always with that grin, pale skin and ice cold eyes of his. His has not changed much since their last championship but he has grown even taller, about two heads taller than Kai. Kai doesn't reply at that statement but his frown grows as he feels how Tala looks at him. Tala Ivanov, the leader of the team stands there in the hallway with his arms crossed and his piercing blue eyes at him.

"Won't you invite us in?" His voice is as emotionless as he remembers it.

"Do I've a choice?" Kai sighs as he steps aside so they can enter.

Ian Papov smirks as he enters and Kai notices that the smallest person he knows hasn't grown taller since they last met. It's his turn to smirk and when Ian notices this; his smile fades immediately. Spencer Petrov pushes Ian through the door, as the little man wants to give Kai a piece of his mind. The huge blonde Russian sends Kai a weak smile as he also enters his apartment.

"If you want something help yourselves…" Kai tells them as he closes the door.

Spencer prepares some coffee while the others sits around the kitchen table. Kai´s cat Kio greets the guests with a gentle mew and jumps up into Bryan´s lap to ask for comfort. He looks at the animal with a confused expression before he starts to touch Kio´s head softly. A small smile grows on Bryan´s lips. Kai glares at him; since when could he smile like that?

"So you're living in a place like this…" Tala looks at the room sceptically. "Didn't your parents leave you their fortune?"

Tala faces Kai at last and blue meets red in an intense stare. He has never really liked the redhead in front of him and to be honest, he likes him less by each passing second. It's true that his parents passed down a large fortune onto him when they died but Kai would feel dirty if he used them. They didn't care about him when they were alive so why would they give him their money, mansion and business now?

"I never asked you to come, Tala. If my place is bothering you, leave." He tells him in a cold tone, also telling him that talking about his family further is not a good idea.

"One thing is clear, your attitude hasn't changed since we last met." Ian tells him with a grin.

Spencer serves them the coffee in silence but his actions calms down the tenseness around the table a bit. The oldest Russian has always been known for his calm aura and intelligence; he's one that Kai actually can talk to in the team. Kai takes his cup and drinks the hot liquid in silence. He puts down the cup and looks at Bryan and Tala.

"Why are you here?"

"We came to compete in the tournament, isn't that obvious?" Bryan avoids Kai´s question somehow by telling him something he knows he already is aware of. That sadistic guy loves to tease. Kio mews once again at this and Bryan frowns as his tail touches his nose.

"We are here to give you the chance to consider…" Spencer starts talking. "…our proposal of joining us."

"My answer is still no."

"Didn't you want to beat Tyson once and for all?" Tala asks him in a sharp tone. "You can't _win_ if you're on _his_ team. We can give you the power that you desire Kai; the power to win." Tala is literally meaning that Kai sure can win in Tyson´s team but not win as he wants to. The Kai he knows can't really win before he has beaten Tyson.

Kai inhales deeply at this and he looks at the floor for some time before he faces Tala. His eyes pierces the redheads mind immediately since the fire in them surprises the team captain of the Russian team. His blue eyes of his gets narrow as Kai keeps on glaring at him with those burning, crimson eyes.

"Don't talk like _you_ know _me_."

Even Bryan and Ian understand that the time for jokes is over and that Kai is deadly serious. Bryan, who is still holding Kio, stares at Kai before his eyes move to his captain almost as if he's waiting for Tala to do something. Ian's smirk is now gone and the short man's firm grip around his cup gets tighter. Spencer is the only one in the room that remains calm. He's waiting in silence for the outcome of this argument.

It they offered him a place in their team earlier he might have considered it but now is not the right time. He's earlier reasons for joining them are almost gone now. Tyson wouldn't be able to do much against him in a beybattle nowadays so why should he need that power they're offering him? _They're acting as if they have me figured out but in reality, they know nothing. Nothing at all. _Kai feels anger rage inside of him mixed together with pain, sadness and other emotions he can't put a name on. He wants to scream, punch someone, weep or run just to get away from this pain. _Tyson… _

"Leave!" He growls at them while pointing his finger directly at Tala. "Leave now!"

Tala snorts before he gets to his feet and turns his back toward Kai, he's clearly irritated by the other's way to behave. The three other members of the Russian team follows in silence, none of them questions Tala´s choice to leave. Kai exhales deeply as he's finally alone in his apartment since their sudden visit drained him. He runs his hands through his hair to calm himself down and his flawless grey hair frames his face as he withdraws his hands after a while.

Kai glances at his phone and holds it in his hands while he turns his focus to something on the other side of the window. He wants to call Tyson but the thought seems very odd to him since the two of them hasn't really conversed like that before, well nothing more than short talks about training, anyway. He hates to be stuck between his feelings and instincts; it makes him feel weak and edgy. He has been like that a lot lately. Kai didn't cry when his parents passed away, not a tear, but the mere thought of that Tyson, his worthy rival and friend, will vanish makes his insides hurt. These feelings that are developing inside of him can become dangerous but he can't say if he's strong enough to fight them. Kai looks at his phone once again and decides to lay it down, but just has he prepares to do that, the devise starts vibrating.

His body doesn't move an inch nor does his expression change but his inner emotions jump at the surprise. Kai exhales deeply before he answers.

"Hiwatari Kai."

"Hello Kai….It´s Tyson."

Kai´s crimson eyes narrow.

* * *

**AN; so chapter done! And please don´t hate Kenny after reading this chapter. THe Chief is only unsure how to handle Tyson´s condition and such so he means no harm. The list I mentioned will be about stuff a person would normaly be through during life. Do you have any suggestions? THank you for reading, R&R if you want to! Hugs**

* * *


	8. Number 10

**An; no poem for this one, sorry! And once again sorry for the late update, I´ve been really busy with school... now on with the chapter.

* * *

****Kai** feels how the warm air hits him in the face along with the scent of fried chicken as he opens the doors and enters the restaurant. His crimson eyes searches the room after the one who called him and their red colour deepens as he finally spots the person, Tyson. Tyson is sitting alone at a two-man table near the window holing a menu in his hands, looking through it in deep concentration. The low Chinese music calms Kai´s nerves as he slowly approaches his team-mate, he walks by a large aquarium with colourful fishes while looking at Tyson.

Tyson called him an hour ago asking if they could meet at this fancy restaurant. He said he had something to tell him and that it would be necessary to eat while doing so, Kai didn't complain since he secretly wanted to meet him too. He has noticed that the pain inside of him fades a little when he's close to Tyson and being with him now makes him calm, relaxed and somewhat happy. These feelings that seems to emerge from Tyson, infecting him, is still a mess for him but he can't say that he hates the sensation.

Tyson looks up from the menu as he notices Kai´s presence and he smiles as the older blader sits down in front of him. Kai doesn't return the smile but he nods, a strange nervousness has invaded his stomach and he can't risk destroying his perfect mask of coldness by trying a smile that might fail. Kai doesn't know what those uncontrollable butterflies in his stomach can do to him and he doesn't want to find out. Not here, not with Tyson sitting there smiling in front of him. Kai decides to start the conversation.

"This is a pretty expensive restaurant you know…" Kai tells Tyson.

Kai who has been raised in luxury until everything went wrong can easily notice how the fancy waiters walk around with expensive uniforms, how the furniture are all from a well known brand and of course that the food is cooked by a master chef. He has been here before, long time ago, together with his grandfather and maybe even with his parents. Tyson seems to notice how Kai doubts him.

"Oh" A large grin spreads on the young man's lips, which makes Kai frown. "Don't worry, money won't become a problem."

Kai´s frown increases at this but he doesn't take the subject further. He knows by experience that Tyson isn't a person who has much money since he always borrows when the Bladebreakers do something.

"What did you want to talk with me about?" Kai wants to know the reason behind Tyson's call.

"Don't rush it, Okay? Let's enjoy our meal first."

If thing were as they used to Kai would have declined now and walked out but something about this situation, Tyson´s sudden phone call and his tone tells him that if he walks away he'll miss something. And Kai doesn't want to leave Tyson, not now. He agrees with a deep sigh and starts to ponder over what he'll order.

* * *

**Tyson **finds himself glancing at Kai instead of the food in front of him once again and he looks away mentally bashing himself. _Has Kai always been this…handsome? _He ponders as he takes a bite of his steak. _What's wrong with me? _He has never thought that someone, especially a man, has been handsome before.

Kai eats in silence, as he always does, but something about the older man is so alluring and different. The low light in the room makes his crimson eyes shine more than they use to and Tyson compares them to a pair of rubies. He finds himself holding his breath as Kai slowly and, in Tyson´s point of view, quite sensually takes his fork into his mouth and chews on his own steak. He swallows his saliva unconsciously but flinch as Kai looks at him at last. _What the hell am I thinking? _Tyson scolds himself.

"Is it good?" Kai asks him, eyeing Tyson´s half-eaten steak.

"Um…yeah!" Tyson nods violently and starts eating with a burning passion, trying to convince Kai that hi did not watch him at all. His attempt makes it look even worse. "I think I´ll ask for seconds."

"Hn." Kai smirks a little at this, it reminds him of old days.

Tyson´s smirk fades as he understands that he can't fool Kai no matter how hard he tries. A deep sigh leaves his lips.

"I was at the hospital some days ago." Tyson starts the conversation. "It doesn't look good. You see…the tumour has spread."

The Russian then understands the reason why Tyson didn't pick up his call some days ago; he must have been in the hospital where they have to be turned off. Kai waits for him to continue.

"I might die sooner than expected if it goes wrong and…I feel that I don't want to waste the time that I've…lying around at home eating."

Tyson looks Kai in the eye with a steady gaze.

"I have created a list that I must follow without exceptions and I thought that you might be the right person to help me."

Kai looks Tyson straight in the eye for a very long time while thinking about what his team-mate just said. It takes some time for him to grasp it since he has tries to not think about the fact that Tyson will fade away. Knowing that he might vanish sooner makes his chest hurt a bit and a frown appears on his face. Tyson wants his help with something, it feels like it's something final; his final request and it makes it very hard.

Tyson watches Kai with a ball of nervousness in his stomach, he can clearly see that his captain is thinking it all through. He doesn't know what he´ll do if Kai refuses, he has no idea if he´ll break down and cry or laugh it of as a joke.

"What kind of list?" Kai´s tone indicates that he´ll help him.

"You'll see." Tyson tells him in a teasing manner. "Oh man, I'm so full!" Tyson grins in a very contented and relieved manner.

He leans back in his chair and caresses his large stomach. There are heaps of finished plates on the champion's side of the table where there are only two at Kai´s side; Tyson has eaten more than he normally would. Kai uses his napkin to clean his face a little but his eyes land on the waiter as he arrives.

Tyson smiles broadly as he takes away their empty plates but it turns into a smirk as the waiter mentions the amount of money they have to pay. Brown eyes meet red and before Kai knows Tyson has jumped out of his chair and is dragging him towards the exit, hand in hand. Crimson eyes narrow, as the Russian understands what he's trying to do. _"Don't worry, money won't become a problem." _That sentence is echoing in side of his head as the two of them runs through the door and into the streets.

"HEY! Stop them they´re……!!!!!!" A male voice growls after them.

Kai hears how Tyson curses loudly at this and he starts to accelerate his own speed. It doesn't take long until Kai is the one running a head pulling Tyson with him. A gasp leaves Tyson's mouth at this but his surprise turns into joy quickly. Kai´s rough hand feels great holding his own smaller one and Tyson squeeze it unconsciously as they continue running down the street. They run into an alleyway to hide from the very angry waiter but a small kid point at their hiding place. The waiter glares at them with a face red as a tomato and starts to rush after them. It's now Tyson´s turn to lead the way to safety and he drags Kai with him further into the alleyway. Adrenaline rushes through his veins and it feels like he's on fire, a sensation that Tyson likes. They turn left, right and right again before the waiter's scream disappears and the two of them hides behind a large mailbox. A deep silence spreads between them and their surroundings and they wait for a moment, waiting for the waiter but no sound can be heard. He must have given up.

"Was doing this on your _to do list_? Running from a bill?" Kai asks him in a quite sceptical tone, no traces of fatigue can be heard in his voice.

"Haha y-yeah…Oh man you should… h-have seen the look on the waiter's… face!" He tells Kai out of breath.

Tyson smiles in a cocky way but his eyes narrow suddenly and the smile fades slowly until his mouth is in a straight line. It doesn't take long for Kai to understand that something is very wrong.

* * *

**His **hand covers his mouth as Tyson starts to cough violently. He coughs so much that he gets no chance to inhale oxygen and he gasps in his struggle for air. His body starts to shake as panic invades his senses and he falls down on his knees when his legs can't support his weight any longer.

"Tyson!"

Kai´s beautiful voice calls out to him. He must have lost his mind, Kai´s voice isn't even close to the word beautiful. The lack of air makes him hear things, he tells himself. Tyson doesn't get much time to ponder about it since he's slowly suffocating. A pair of strong arms encircles him from behind and he's pulled against a hard chest.

"Take deep, slow breaths." Kai tells him; it's not a suggestion it's an order. His voice is cold as ice but that's just a shield, Kai is scared and he doesn't want Tyson to know. "Calm down…"

Kai feels how Tyson's body trembles against his own and he tries his best to keep him still and somewhat safe in his arms. An ice-cold sensation invades Kai´s whole body as he understands that the short run might kill him. He thought he was prepared but the thought hits him with a great amount of pain. The Russian murmurs slowly into Tyson's ear; _Inhale….exhale.…inhale…_and the thought of calling an ambulance reaches his mind. A deep breath leaves the younger man's lips suddenly and he inhales slowly with a great labour. The ice-cold feeling that has invaded Kai´s chest starts to ease as Tyson starts to breathe in the same rhythm as Kai´s whispering in his ear.

Kai pulls Tyson off the ground as the other's breathing is stable again and the champion leans on him since his weak legs can't hold his weight at the moment. He can feel the rapid beating of Tyson´s heart against his arm and that feeling calm his own bolting heart and he can finally sigh in relief.

"…Damn…" Tyson curses in a low and weak voice.

Tyson feels how some kind of liquid is stuck to his lip and chin, he assumes it to be drool and wipes it of carelessly. But it's blood that's colouring his sleeve as he looks at it. The red, wet liquid scares him more than his earlier coughing.

"How are you feeling, should I call for an ambulance?" Kai asks him in a cold voice, but a hint of worry shines through.

"No…I'm fine." Tyson ensures him.

Turning around to face Kai, Tyson smiles weakly to prove that he's indeed okay. The traces of blood left on his lip don't make Kai less worried though and he gives Tyson a stern stare. Crimson red eyes outshine the redness of the blood as their eyes meet in a deep gaze. None of them notices the gentle embrace that they're in since their focus is on the other's face. Tyson stands really close to Kai and their height difference can easily be seen, he is head is at Kai´s neck. Kai´s pale hands rest on Tyson´s shoulders and the two of them seems very comfortable this close to each other. It comes to an end as Kai is brought back to reality. He withdraws his hands slowly and Tyson reacts to this by taking a step backwards.

"Let's call a cab."

"It's not necessary, Kai, I'm fine."

"Hn" Kai snorts. "I´ll walk you home."

"Thanks…"

Kai shoves his hands into his pockets as they walk slowly down the road towards Tyson's home. A rather uncomfortable silence spread between them since both are thinking hard on what happened and how to cope with it.

"Is this going to happen each time you're doing that list?" Kai asks him to break the silence, sarcasm can be heard in his voice. He just needs to be that way now, he can't hold back his emotions any longer. This event scared him more than he wants to admit. Tyson looks into the distance with a sad expression.

"It might happen." He tells him truthfully. "But I think it's worth it. I don't want to spend my last time on earth in my bed doing nothing so…this list will keep me alive until the end. Don't worry though, I won't force you to help me out."

Tyson acts as if it doesn't matter if Kai helps or not but his whole body language tells a different story. During this time that he's been with Kai he has started to reply on him more than he normally does. He has told him everything. Tyson just don't know how much a _"No" _would hurt to hear. Kai walks in silence once again but his mind is racing inside of his skull. Helping him could mean that he dies earlier but also that he can really _live _his last months. It doesn't matter what he does Tyson will…die anyway. He feels like he's suffocating when that thought reaches his mind. Kai can't recall when he last hurt this much during such a long time.

"I won't let you go through this alone Tyson." Kai tells him at last.

A bolt of warmth invades Tyson's whole body at this and he can't help but smile really brightly.

"Haha." Tyson smiles sincerely up at Kai. "Thanks… Number ten on the list is now done!"

"So running from a bill was just something you had to risk your life for?"

"Uh-huh!" Tyson nods.

Kai sighs mentally. If running from a bill meant so much for him, who can tell what else he'll do?

* * *

**The **two Bladebreakers feels immediately that something is off when they arrive at Tyson's dojo. The lights are on even though it's late, past both Gramps and Hiro´s bedtime, and a fancy red car is parked outside the fence surrounding the dojo. The very new, modern and probably very expensive car looks so alive compared to the old, Edo period styled dojo and it doesn't really fit into the picture.

The two young men walks around it while looking at each other with slightly confused expressions on their faces, or more like Tyson is confused while Kai is somewhat bothered. The only person they know that could afford this kind of luxury is but he isn't in the country at the moment. The two of them understands the situation as they enter the house since a quite loud, feminine and bossy voice can be heard from the living room.

"This jumper is for you Maxie."

"Oh…thanks Hilary." Max thanks her.

Hilary´s pink painted lips smile as she hands her American friend the jumper she bought some days ago. She's dressed in a very lovely red dress that seems to be taken from a fairytale along with a pair of leather boots. Hilary´s long brown hair is pulled up into a neat bun and she looks very proper, mature and sophisticated. Tyson can't help but wonder if this is the same bothersome girl that once pissed the shit out of him in school, at his second championship and on his free time.

"This bo-staff is for Rei…"

"Thank you."

"I bought a new attack-ring for Tyson. This model is really popular in the US but…where's Tyson?"

Everybody in the room gets silent at this.

"I'm here Hilary. Welcome back." Tyson greets her from the hallway, breaking the tense silence. He and Kai walk into the room to great their old friend.

"Oh Tyson! Kai!"

"Why are you here?" Tyson asks her in a teasing manner.

"I promised that I would return to watch your game, remember?" She tells them referring to the upcoming tournament. "How are you guys?"

The question hits Tyson hard and he is suddenly at a loss of words. Kai glances at him. He wants to tell her that he feels more alive than ever, that everything is all right and that nothing is different from before but he can't lie.

"Ehm…"Tyson finds himself unsure how to answer her. "Well I…"

The silence and the tenseness in the room gets worse and the young woman turns to around when she feels how the cold atmosphere creates Goosebumps on her skin. Hilary frowns.

"What's wrong?" Hilary asks everyone.

"Hilary, you should sit down…" Rei tells her in a gentle tone.

Everybody looks at her with sad expressions and Gramps mutters something about preparing tea and disappears somewhere. Max tries to smile to calm the girl down but it doesn't turn out right; it's more like a grimace. Kenny looks at the ground as if he thinks the mat is more interesting than the conversation.

"Why?" She looks even more confused at everyone's reactions. "Has something happened?"

* * *

**Tyson **made Hilary cry that night. She cried rivers of tears while asking some higher powers if this was what they called justice. Why is life sometimes so unfair and painful? Why does someone have to die when someone else is feeling fine? If there is a God, Buddha or Alah…why does he let this happen to his people? There's no answer, Hilary knows that but it doesn't make her feel less sad.

…_Why did this happen? Why?

* * *

_**Tomorrow **is the big day that everyone has been waiting for; the first day of the world championships in Japan. The Bladebreakers are currently training fiercely in Tyson's backyard with determination in their eyes. Hilary has been staying with them for a week now and she has slowly acceped Tyson´s illness. Kai stands tall as he gives out orders and Tyson finds himself looking at him a little longer than he should have. The cancer sick man sits at Kenny´s side while looking dreamily at the battle between Rei and Max.

"Both of them has improved a lot right?" He asks the Chief.

"Yeah!" Kenny answers with excitement in his voice. " But I wonder if it's enough to win."

"Hey don't be so negative!" Tyson pokes his friend. " You've already lost the battle if you think like that."

Kenny nods after a while ad the short genius types something down on his laptop. The strange phone call some days ago is forgotten and Kenny is now acting normally around Tyson. Everyone in the team seems to have managed to accept his situation now. Having your friends supporting you makes the fact that you're slowly dying so much easier to bear and accept. Knowing that they always are there for Tyson makes him happy but…Kai´s concerned glances, his greetings and just knowing that he can lean on him makes his insides burn. These feelings are so confusing and his thoughts about the enigma scare him. He can't lie and say that this means nothing…he just doesn't know how to handle the situation.

"Rei you've to concentrate more!" Kai shouts.

"Yes sir!" Rei replies out of breath. "I'm so gonna win this Max!"

"No way!" The blond replies with a smirk.

Tyson smiles.

"I would love to battle them too."

"Well think of it like this Tyson; now it's their turn to stand in the spotlight." Kenny tells him. "I bet you feels strange since you won't be the centre of attention during this competition."

"…Yeah, I guess so." Tyson agrees. "I guess I've to retire…poor Dragoon." His heart aches at this and he hopes that he still have time left to blade.

"Too bad that you can't blade…"Max tells him as he approaches.

Tyson looks at Max for a while before he nods, murmuring a soft _"yes"._ Hiro literally banned him from taking a step closer to the dish than ten meters, with that he means that sitting at the team bench is ok, but Tyson fights to keep his hopes up. Beyblading is his life and without it…well you understand.

"Hey, I _do_ have a speech to prepare you know?" Tyson tells them with a smirk. "Let me have something to look forward to."

"Yeah!" Max smiles happily at this, glad that his friend has some motivation.

"Please make it better than your last one." Rei jumps in. "I can't even remember what it was about."

"Have you _ever_ _tried_ to write a speech Kon?" Tyson asks him in a bitter voice.

Rei laughs it off and Tyson smiles. The team gathers around Kenny and he tells everyone what they have to improve or think of during their next battles. Hilary brings out some drinks and sits down, the girl listens to the guys without interrupting anything.

"You guys never change." She tells them at last.

* * *

**AN; So...I hope this didn´t seem rushed and that the time skips were clear. Thinks are starting to happen now and how will Tyson handle it all? The competition and his new feelings for a certain enigma? **

**R&R... reviews makes my day!**


	9. Once Upon a December

****

AN; Hello! Sorry for the late update but I've been busy with school and another Fanfiction project of mine. I hope you'll like this chapter! Enjoy!

_"Far away, long ago  
things I yern to remember  
and a song someone sings  
Once upon a December"_

* * *

**The **loud noise from the audience makes the Bladebreakers even more thrilled as they walk down the corridors under the arena. The beyblade tournament is finally here. Old friends from all across the world meet again and the word _excitement_ can describe the aura around them. It has been years since the last competition and this opportunity won't be wasted. Old rivals will fight once more, teams will do anything to gain the title Tyson possesses and they'll turn their favourite sport into something everyone can enjoy. Beyblade is not a sport for children only anymore.

"And now it's time for what everybody has been waiting for! Tyson the stage is yours!" AJ Topper´s voice echo between the walls. AJ and Brad Best are once again sitting in their room, ready to comment the battles awaiting them.

"Hello dudes!" Tyson greets everybody with his trademark smirk.

Loud screams from the audience echo inside of the building and Tyson smiles at his fans reactions. He has always loved to be the centre of attention and that hasn't changed since the last competition. Fan girls sends him winks, young beybladers stares at him in awe and Tyson can also see how older people watches him with interest. But what makes him the most happy is that he can see the familiar faces of old friends in the crowd, his old beyblade buddies.

"Wow this year's audience is awesome!" Tyson exclaims and his voice echoes between the walls. "But I've written a speech to please be quiet and listen carefully."

The arena grows silent at this since the always cheerful and impatient Tyson is known to only say a word or two and not a real _speech. _The quick reaction from his fans and friends makes the champion more aware of that everyone is looking at him. He used to love this but now, it feels like they can see the white tumour in his head. He feels slightly naked in front of them; a feeling he's not familiar with.

"It's… great to see that so many teams registered this year. I'm sure that we'll be able to take beyblading to another level if we work together. You'll never get too old to blade in my opinion and I know that all of you agree. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here… right?"

Tyson laughs nervously as he scratches the back of his head. Even if he prepared a serious speech he wouldn't be able to do it. It takes some time but his uneasiness fades and just by being at the stage brings back his former strength. The fact that he's deadly sick feels so unrealistic. Tyson wants to bathe in this warm light forever.

"Together with my team I've been able to snatch a trophy, just as shiny as that one, three years in a row. But…I won't be able to fight like before due to my current condition. Don't get too excited now! My team is strong enough to protect out title without me!"

The silent audience starts to turn in their seats.

"…What condition?" A confused Miguel asks himself.

The blonde Spaniard sits together with his team on one of the first rows at the platform. The pink-haired Mathilda shakes her head with a worried expression as she listens to Miguel. The two of them feels how Tyson is hiding something. The team that helped Miguel to see that their old ways was wrong seems to have lost their sparkle, and it bothers him.

"Tyson?" Robert from the Majestics frowns.

The team with super rich Europeans looks up as they hear this. The blader who beat them all will not take part in the competition this year? Johnny frowns angrily as he looks down at the team that made a fool of him some years ago. His expression changes when he finds his rival Kai sitting there with an odd aura around him. _It's like Kai is…What have I missed?_

"…"

Tala´s ice blue eyes stare at Kai as he starts to understand that Tyson´s condition is probably the reason why Kai said no to his offer. _But why should he care about his rival? _The fact that Kai chose Bladebreakers over his Russian team angers the redhead somewhat. He is well aware of that there's not much that can keep Tyson away from the beyblade dish so it must be something severely wrong with him. Tyson is one of the strongest beybladers around and even Tala can't help but agree that it'll be boring without him.

"What does he mean by that?" Ozuma asks out loud.

Ozuma, Mariam, Joseph and Dunga stands near the fence above the platform. The four of them has been looking forward to this tournament but their excitement has vanished. _What has happened? Is Dragoon alright? _Ozuma thinks. Something might have happened with the four holy bit beasts but they've no clue. Mariam can't help but feels sad as she notices how Tyson tries to fake a smile.

"…What I am trying to say is that…" Tyson continues. "…Everybody should do their best to win. No cheats, attacking the beyblader is a big no-no and don't treat others like dirt. Let this tournament turn into a competition no one will forget. Don't ponder over tomorrow's worries or the mistake you did yesterday; today is what counts. Let's show everybody that adults can enjoy beyblading too!…And now I´ll give the word to Jazzman so we can get today's party started!"

"Wow, great speech man!" Jazzman shouts out loudly.

Tyson smirks as he walks down to his team. He's sure to tell Jazzman to not ask any more questions by turning away so abruptly. The older man gets the hint and continues on with his work as the host of this event. Even though Tyson intended to make the right thing, he ended up making a lot of people worried after that speech. But the one who's most worried is Tyson since he has no clue how much he'll be able to play in the tournament. What if can't do it? What if he get worse before he can make his _what to do _list come true? His chest hurts.

* * *

**Tyson **hates to be the one sitting at the bench while someone else is battling. He has to force himself to not run up to the dish and let it rip every time Jazzman is announcing the next two beybladers. Being used to be the one who wins the third round gloriously, Tyson feels depressed to be the one watching Kai´s back when the enigma takes his place. He doesn't dislike Kai it's just that he's jealous. _Why did this happen to me? _

"Great battle there Kai!" Max smiles brightly as Kai walks up to them. "We're so gonna win this year!"

Kai doesn't answer as he sits down on the bench next to Tyson. Rei, Max, Kenny and Hilary talks loudly about their flawless victory while the audience around them us screaming their hearts out. Tyson closes his eyes when his raging emotions start to get the best of him. A pair of crimson eyes glances in his direction for a moment. Tyson can feel Kai´s eyes on him but he doesn't dare to face him. He doesn't know what he'll do when those strange emotions he feel when he's with Kai takes over.

"This means that we'll battle the winning team in block A tomorrow. Both teams seems to be rather new, I´ll do a research about them later." Kenny announces.

"Great Kenny, but it's time for celebration!" Hilary shouts out loud. "What should we do?"

"Let's go to the restaurant near the harbour!" Max suggests with a smile. "I heard that some of the other teams will be there."

"It sound as a good idea to me." Rei agrees, his stomach is grumbling loudly.

"It has been a while since we saw them all." Kenny ponders. "So let's greet them!"

Tyson wants to object but he shuts his mouth before he can form any words. If he meets the others it'll be hard to act natural and composed. What if they question why he won't be fighting in the tournament? He's sick of all the lies about his sickness but it's way to early for him to make it public yet. The media will be haunting him now after his speech, he's well aware of that, but it's easier to lie to some stupid reporter than your own friends.

"Tyson?" Hilary utters his name with worry in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I just need to…get away." Tyson murmurs. "I think I´ll go home instead. Max, buy me some sweets on your way home, kay?"

"Oh…okay, but let's hang out another day then?"

"Sure." Tyson nods with a weak smile.

"Tyson, you were great out there so don't let your condition to get to you. Positive thinking can sometimes make everything turn better!" Kenny tells him.

"I´ll keep that in mind Chief. See you guys later."

* * *

**The** gentle wind plays with their hair as they walk down the streets and several over obsessed fans scream as they glances at them. Kenny hides his face with a red blush on his cheeks while Hilary, who walks by his side, waves her hand just like a queen would do. Rei, Max and Kai who are more used to the fame decides to ignore the screaming girls in a somewhat nice way.

"Wow they're so hot!" A young girl scream.

"Kai looked at me!"

"Why would he look at _you_?" Another one snaps.

Kai frowns at this, he didn't even glance at the girls. They're starting a commotion even when they're trying to avoid it. The Russian sighs silently. _Why did I agree to this? _He asks himself as an irritation starts to grow stronger by every second.

"Where's Tyson?" A young girl asks, she wears a hat that looks like the one Tyson wore when they were younger.

Kai flinches by the sudden question. _Tyson. _The enigma curses himself as he notices how his team mate´s name makes his heart beat faster. His crimson eyes turn distant as he falls into his own world and shuts out everyone else. He has not been able to think properly for some days now since a certain face always pop out from nowhere. It both angers Kai and makes him feel strange inside. He has always thought of Tyson as a rival, he can't deny that their rivalry turned into friendship but now… what? _Why can't I focus any longer? _His stride for perfection has become so much harder since he found out about Tyson's cancer.

Feelings that he was forced to forget at his time in the Abbey has reached the surface again and the power of them takes him by surprise. Kai has always ignored all kinds of pain but he has during these last weeks felt it. It's not the pain you get when you're wounded it's a pain that you can't see on the outside; his heart is aching.

But it's not the pain that scares Kai the most, it's the raging desire to be close to the other man. He has found himself looking at Tyson more often, he has been lying awake late at night thinking about him and even wanting to… touch him. He wants to touch him, anywhere. The only desire he has known is the desire to win and gain more power but it's not close to the need he feels whenever he thinks of Tyson. _Tyson_**, **_Is it really normal to think this much about…a friend? Do Tyson feel this…too? Fuck. _The fact that he'll die makes everything worse.

"You look as if you're in pain." Rei interrupts Kai´s thoughts and the enigma flinches once again.

Kai is surprised by Rei´s closeness and starts to unconsciously, create a larger distance between them. Rei´s golden cat eyes notices this though and his weak smile fades somewhat. You can hear how Kenny, Hilary and Max talks a little further up ahead and the two older men looks at their friend's backs. Kai is very tense by Rei´s side and he avoids the neko-jin´s eyes.

"We all feel for Tyson but I guess it's hardest for you…"

"What do you mean?" Kai asks him but the question is more of a demand.

Kai´s eyes narrow as a smirk grows bigger on Rei´s lips. From being lost in thoughts Kai is pulled back to reality by his cunning team mate. The smirk tells Kai that Rei knows something that he doesn't and that fact bothers him greatly. He doesn't know why or how Rei is able to find out things no one else notices but it's really inconvenient in his opinion. It's like Rei knows more about himself than he does. The smirk changes into a gentle smile as Rei starts to walk up to the others.

"Act before it's too late." He whispers as he passes by.

* * *

**The **nice smell of food greets them as they enter the restaurant and Rei purrs. He can't resist the scent of fish that's lingering inside of the building. He smiles broadly as he sees his old team sitting by the bar and is quick to join them.

"Hey!" A familiar voice calls out.

Max smiles as he recognises the team that's sitting in the corner as team Psychic and the blonde leads the way to their table. They've not seen each other for a long time even though they also are staying in Japan. Kenny likes they way the team seems to have changed through the years, especially since they are walking their own path now instead of following some crazy man's orders. Kane, Jim, Goki smiles as a greeting while the redhead Salima follows Rei with her eyes with a disappointed look in her eyes.

"Long time no see." Kane smiles.

"Yeah! So how are you doing?" Max asks them as he sits down.

Hilary, Kenny and even Kai follow his example and sits down to join them.

"Great, we're all psyched! I never thought we would compete as a team again." Jim tells them while doing gestures whit his hands. "I want to let it rip right now! Haha…"

"Take it easy, Jim." Goki warns him with a growing smirk.

"Where's Tyson?" Kane changes the subject and looks around, as if he's expecting Tyson to join them.

"He couldn't come." Hilary explains. "He didn't feel well."

Hilary shivers violently as she feels how three pair of eyes pierce her body. Max looks at her with wide eyes and his smile is gone, Kenny regards her with an expression that tells her that she shouldn't have said that and Kai´s cold glance makes her sweat.

"What!?" _What have I done wrong?_

"Oh…" Kane looks surprised, but his suspicion grows as he notices the way the Bladebreakers looks at each other. He doesn't get a chance to ask though because his female team mate does it in his place.

"What's wrong with him? He seems to be a different person from the Tyson we fought years ago." Salima asks them while looking into her memories of the loud and impatient champion.

"Nothing is wrong!" Max answers then with a slightly panicked face. "It's just a cold that doesn't want to fade, that's all." Max´s blue eyes narrow as he finds himself lying.

The aura around the table grows uncomfortable and Hilary finally understands her mistake; she shouldn't have mentioned his condition in that careless manner. The team doesn't really know if they should tell them the truth or wait until Tyson is ready to tell the world. Keeping it a secret will make the situation worse, they are aware of that. Kai has turned his face away and looks at the sea through the window; his eyes are distant. His long fringe hides his face from the others. Kane frowns but decides to not push them further in the matter.

"Let's order some food." Kane breaks the ice.

"…Yeah." Kenny agrees.

"I want to try that seafood pizza." Goki tells the others. "Seems like a good choice."

"Urk…Shrimps." Hilary mutters. "I want some Quiche…"

"Sorry but we're not in Hollywood anymore, Hilary!" Max jokes.

The atmosphere fades slowly as Jim starts to chuckle, which triggers a chain reaction until almost everybody at the table smiles. A deep sigh is head from Hilary though.

"…Max, Quiche is a French pie…" Hilary murmurs with her hand at her forehead.

* * *

**The **sun is slowly fading near the horizon and the beach bathes in a pink colour. The sound of the waves and the seagulls together with the soft whistle of the wind meets the bladers as they leave the building. All of them decide to split up and go home but Max stops suddenly.

"Oh right, the candy." Max utters suddenly. "I almost forgot!"

Kai stops walking.

"Max, I can hand it over to Tyson." Kai offers out of the blue.

"Really? That would be great."

Kai turns to face his American friend. Kai has not been able to ignore how Tyson keeps eating that special chocolate. A chocolate that shouldn't be called chocolate in Kai´s opinion; it's too light and sweet.

"You know what kind Tyson likes right?"

"…Yeah." _I even know what he likes… _

Kai ignores the feeling of Rei´s all-knowing eyes on him as he walks off towards the city. Kai sighs deeply and closes his eyes for a moment. The distant voices of Hilary and Kenny can be heard, they seem to be arguing about something. His eyes shine bright red as he opens them.

* * *

**Tyson **sits on his bed with his back against the wall. He looks up at the ceiling with an empty expression, the only sound you can hear is the constant ticking of his clock. He's dressed for bed; a simple white t-shirt and a pair of boxers but he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to sleep. His right arm rests behind his head while his other lies on the bed, whit his beyblade in his hand. _Dragoon, I'm sorry…._ Tyson closes his eyes. His chest seems to hurt all the time nowadays, like his headache.

"T-man, you've a visitor!" Gramps knocks on the door.

Tyson jumps by the sudden call. His distant eyes turn alert when he understands that someone is about to enter his room. He's not dressed properly, he's still dizzy from the medicine plus he's pale as a ghost equals; _not_ a good time to greet guests. Tyson gets up on his feet.

"Oh, wait I´ll…"

The door opens before he's able to tell them to wait. Tyson notices how his grandfather hesitates when he sees the state he's in, but he doesn't wait, as Tyson wants him to do. The old Kendo master opens the door slowly to let someone else enter. The cancer sick champion's brown eyes widen when he meets the gaze of Hiwatari Kai. _W-why is he here…? _He finds himself thinking with his heart beating like a drum.

"I´ll… leave ya dudes alone, call me if you need anythin´." Gramps tells them and shuts the door.

Tyson sits down at his bed and is once again leaning against the wall. He looks up at Kai who stands motionless near the door. The fact that he's in the same room as Kai dressed like this makes him feel naked and he wonders where his new shyness came from.

"Hello." He greets him.

"…Hey." Kai answers after a while. The enigma takes the chocolate from his pocket and gives it to Tyson. "Here."

Tyson looks at the candy in silence before he remembers that he asked for it earlier. "Oh I didn't think someone would actually buy it for me, haha." He laughs in an attempt to hide his nervousness.

Tyson can't help but flinch when Kai sits down next to him on the bed. Tyson's fingers turn white as he squeezes his beyblade hard against his palm. The warmth that's radiating from Kai creates Goosebumps on Tyson's skin. A strange sensation grows in his stomach and sitting still becomes a hard task. He has never felt this way around anyone before. He feels both happy and uneasy at the same time. Tyson regards Kai and curses him; the captain does always look so calm and composed. What he doesn't notice it the way Kai´s eyes moves from the beyblade in his hand, up his bare arm, over his chest and then to his face.

"Kane asked about you today."

"So you met team Psychic?" Tyson tries to avoid the subject behind Kai´s statement.

"Max lied, Tyson. He lied for your sake. You've to tell them about the tumour." Kai tells him coldly.

Kai regards Tyson in silence but a silence can sometimes tell you more than words can. His team will suffer if Tyson doesn't tell everybody the truth behind his sickness. The fans will get angry and disappointed when their star doesn't show up without a good reason and who will face their sadness? The Bladebreakers. The media wants to find the reason behind the champion's sudden disappearance and who will have to lie to them? The BladeBreakers. Tyson touches his forehead as the ache grows and he explodes.

"Don't you understand!?" Tyson turns to Kai. "It's so fucking hard! Death is haunting me everyday, I can't handle the pressure!! You can't possibly understand what I am going through."

Kai´s eyes narrows with fury and he punches the wall violently.

"I've been there too!" Kai snaps angrily while staring at Tyson. "I've seen death…many times." He roars.

Tyson forces himself to calm down. He has never seen Kai act this way before. His sudden anger frightens the younger man somewhat and he closes his mouth. Kai glares at him in a way that would make any normal person shake with uneasiness. The Russian looks away and regains his indifferent expression after a while of silence. He glances at Tyson from the corner of his eye. He regrets his outburst.

The death of his relatives didn't affect him much since he never saw them as a family, only people sharing the same blood. But the strongest memory of his fear of death is from a cold winter day in Russia. _You saved me. _Kai recalls his near death experience at the young age of fifteen. He can still remember how the ice cold water felt against his skin, how his feet was stuck in the ice below him and that he was sinking slowly. It would have been so easy to just let go there. He was so tired and the only thing he thought of was to close his eyes and sleep. But then a hand reached out and grabbed his arm and he felt safe. _I betrayed you but you still reached out for me and…saved my life. _Kai exhales deeply and relaxes at last which makes Tyson lower his guard too.

"Sorry." Tyson murmurs. "I lost it."

The silence around them gets more pleasant after Tyson's apology. The two young men sit side by side with their gazes on something else in the room. Kai can't help but notice the bottles of pills on the desk in front of him. That eerie feeling enters him again and he gets even more confused. Tyson can make him feel things that he thought he had forgotten. The champion can irritate him, make him shout with anger, make him feel so much pain but there's always a strange warmth in his chest when he's close to him. Kai decides to push his thoughts aside since he believes he won't become any wiser. With a last glance at the bottles of pills Kai turns to look at Tyson.

"So what's next?" Kai asks him as if nothing happened between them.

"Next?" Tyson meets Kai´s eyes and doesn't and none of them looks away this time.

"On that list of yours, you said you wanted my help didn't you?"

* * *

**AN; So done!!! I hope you liked it. I felt really sad when I wrote this since Tyson changes so much due to the cancer. A lot of his happy personality is gone and he fights to keep up the facade. It's going to be so hard to write later chapters… I would love to hear your thoughts about this chapter, or the story in general so please review! It'll help me to write faster. So please Read & Review. **

**Next chapter; some fluff ahead. **


	10. Number 9 & 8

**AN; thank you for all the reviews! I think that you guys broke my "review record" on the last chapter! Arigatou gozaimasu! My English still has flaws and I wonder if someone is interested to beta read this story. I'm rather new to beta reading so… I would appreciate any help I could get. **

**Tyson´s and Kai´s relationship will take a turn in this chapter. (finally!) And there'll be some fluff at the end. I hope that I've not rushed things. Take your time and enjoy chapter 10!

* * *

**"**Frozen in silence, facing it alone.**

**Gotta keep my cool, make them think I'm made of stone.**

**It's game that we are playing, our minds are made of steel**

**Balanced on the edges of everything we feel."

* * *

****The **quite cold wind feels nice against Tyson's hot skin. The autumn weather is nicely cooling his feverish body down as he sits near the pond at the Granger dojo. The young man has not noticed the change of season since his mind has been busy with a lot of things. A pair of brown leafs fall down to land on the ground close to him and Tyson looks at them in silence. He can't remember a day where he has been this quiet and calm before. He has always been that noisy person who never sat still, the one who never listened to other's instructions and acted after instincts. He has, just like the season, changed.

Tyson's condition isn't getting better and the constant feeling of medicine running through his veins makes him utterly tired and unmotivated sometimes. His headache is worse than ever and the thought of that the tumour might grow even bigger scares him. Because if it does, his time on earth will be shortened. Something he has noticed is that he's getting thinner by each day, but that's not something that surprises him. The food he eats nowadays seldom stays in his stomach. He has not visited the hospital for a while and he avoids the building as much as he can.

Footsteps make him focus and he finds his older brother in the doorway. The older Granger holds the champion's cell phone in his hands and throws it to Tyson after a while of silence.

"Did you ask grand pa about what we talked about?" He asks Hiro.

"Yeah, he's fine with it." Hiro smirks hesitantly, he doesn't know if he should laugh or cry.

"Thank you." Tyson nods before he greets the person in the phone. "Hello it's Tyson speaking."

"_Tyson, hi! How are you?" _Max sounds worried at the other end of the line.

"I'm still breathing." Tyson answers with a small smirk since he knows that Max is a person who would call him each day just to make sure that he was… "I'm fine, Max."

"_Hey, don't joke about it!"_ Max worried tone turns into annoyance, but the cheerful American can't stay like that for too long. He continues to speak in a happy voice. _"I was wondering if you'll watch our battle today. It'll not be the same without you, pal." _

"…I´ll come." Tyson answers blankly after a while of thought.

"Great! You know where you'll find us. See you later!"

"Bye."

Tyson puts down the phone with a sigh, he knows that he has a very long day ahead of him. Especially if he wants to complete number nine on his "what to do" list. When you're at the edge of dying it's so much easier to see all the mistakes you've done during life, an example is how dumb you've acted and much more. Now it's the day to change. The truth is that Tyson is in no mood to see his team battle but he'll not stay at home since Max asked him to come. He will use this day to do anything in his power to make his team happy and of course spoil them with loads of presents. He won't need his money when he's dead, right?

* * *

**The** first thing Tyson sees as he passes through the gates of the dojo is his face in the newspaper. **"What condition?"** is the headline and the champion can't help but think that the reporters must love this kind of news. Tyson sigh as he keeps on walking towards the beyblade arena further ahead of him. _Kai is right…I've to tell everyone about my cancer before the journalists finds out. I want to be the one to tell them, not some crappy old magazine. _He runs his fingers through his hair. _I hope I´ll manage to fulfil my plan before it's too late. _

It's rather cold outside and Tyson regrets that he didn't take a thicker jacket than his usual red one. It takes about a quarter for him to reach his destination and he hurries inside to the warmth. A sigh leaves of relief leaves his lips. Tyson stumbles suddenly but is able to regain his balance before falling. His heart races. _What was that? It was like I couldn't control my feet…_

"Tyson!" And he tenses once again by a sudden voice. "Over here!"

Tyson´s eyes narrow a little as he sees how Kai´s old team stands there looking at him. Ian waves his hand with a smirk on his face, the little man seems to be thrilled about something. The other Russians look deadly serious which makes the Japanese quite nervous and uneasy.

"Long time no see. Tala, Bryan, Spencer…Ian." Tyson greets them with his trademark smile.

"Yeah." Bryan agrees with a snort.

The tone the Russian uses makes Tyson even more tense. He has never known Kai´s old team-mates that well and he feels that this time; they've something to tell him. Something he doesn't want to discuss before the already decided date. Tala´s ice-cold eyes on him make Tyson remember the coldness that used to linger in Kai´s crimson orbs. Even though they're similar; it feels worse to be pierced by Tala´s calculating stare.

"So you're also fighting today, huh?"

"We just fought and won." Ian tells Tyson, bragging with a smirk.

"Oh, too bad I missed it!" Tyson scratches his head with guilt.

"It's normal… to _miss _things when you've a lot on your mind, isn't it?" Tala speaks clearly with eyes never leaving Tyson.

An eerie silence spread between the Japanese man and the Russians. They hadn't stopped him just to chat, the fact hits Tyson in the face. The Japanese champion recalls how Kenny told him about the Russian's intense power and abilities and maybe this ability to see through his lies is something that's passed down among people from the Abbey?

"Hahah yeah!" Tyson breaks the silence. "Well if I doesn't leave now, I´ll _miss_ my team's battle. So see you guys later."

Tyson flees once again while telling himself that everyone will get to know the truth soon enough. He smiles broadly but the smile is not returned. The four beybladers stares at Tyson's back as he walks away from them and none of them seem pleased. _Is this the beyblader you left our team for, Kai? _Tala snorts. Sure, Tyson beat Tala some years ago but this meeting only proves that a lot has changed since then.

* * *

**The **Bladebreakers won their battle quite easily and will meet King and Queen in their next duel. All of them feel how the heat of the tournament is getting hotter. Only the toughest beybladers are left and the real fight can begin.

Rei stretches his stiff back as he and the rest of the team meets up with Tyson in their locker room. The neko-jin is quick to notice the mood Tyson is in and he eyes him with a small amount of interest.

"Tyson, how are you?" He asks with worry.

"I'm okay, the headache is killing me you know?" Tyson answers with a weak smile. "And I've been thinking a lot lately."

"It's getting worse?" Kenny asks him. "It's because you're thinking _too_ much, ne?"

"Yeah…my head is constantly throbbing." Tyson admits but hides the pain behind a smile. He decides to ignore Kenny's other statement. "Let's go to the mall!"

"HEH!?" Kenny and Hilary shout at the same time.

It's the first time Tyson has ever mentioned a _mall_ and _let's go_ in the same sentence but instead of worrying, Hilary smiles and says that she thinks that the idea is great. She loves to shop and is in need for a new dress to one of the TV show she'll appear in later this month and she's sure that Tyson needs to get his mind of the cancer.

"Let's go!"

Kai follows his team in the background. He can't help but wonder what Tyson has in mind.

* * *

"**Does** this look good on me?" Hilary turns around to look at the reflection of her back in the mirror. "I look fat doesn't I?"

Hilary is wearing a long blood red dress that shows a large part of her back. The cloth makes her eyes look stunning and it compliments her now visible feminine curves. She has changed a lot from the girl they once knew and has turned into a beautiful young woman with style.

"You look great. " Max assures Hilary with a big smile.

"I think I´ll take it!" She smiles brightly back at the blonde.

Hilary steps back and changes into her regular clothes and is just about to go and pay for the dress when Tyson snatches the cloth from her hands.

"Let me pay for it."

"Wha…why?" Hilary asks him in a very surprised voice.

Tyson smiles at her in a way that makes her unable to object. She doesn't know what feelings he feels but the smile is not out of happiness or pain it's something in between. It's like Tyson feels that he has to do this and won't give up before he has bought that dress for her.

"Don't sound so surprised. What if I want to spoil my friends once in a while?" He tells her as he heads towards the cashdesk to pay.

Kai´s eyes follow Tyson. The Russian is well aware of that Tyson doesn't have a lot of money at the moment and he starts to understand what he's trying to do. Kai´s thoughts are interrupted when he sees how Tyson all of a sudden looses the ability to stay upright. He seems to be unable to move his feet normally and he trips. Kai acts quickly and dashes forward and grabs Tyson by his waist. He pulls Tyson's body towards his and is able to stop him from falling. A surprised gasp leaves Tyson's slightly parted lips as he notices Kai´s closeness.

"Tyson! Are you okay?" Max shouts.

Tyson gazes into Kai´s eyes and doesn't hear Max question. His skin burns where Kai´s hand touches him and the Russian's breath on his face is maddening. Kai helps Tyson to regain his balance _That strange feeling again…_Tyson frowns as he recognises the feeling of no control over his feet. Kai notices the distant stare and his hold on Tyson gets firmer. Something is wrong, he can feel it.

"Wow, that was close!" Tyson breaks the silence. "I lost my balance all of a sudden. Thank you…Kai."

Tyson looks up at Kai as he thanks him. Kai saved him like a hero and Tyson can't help but feel warm and happy by the way Kai cares. Tyson notices how Kai´s arm still are holding him even though he has regained his balance already. A swarm of emotions builds up inside of him and he suddenly wants to hold Kai close to himself. _Tyson, you're in a mall. You can't do something like that here! _He tells himself as he tries not to think about Kai´s presence.

"Moe! You've to be more careful!" Hilary complains and interrupts Tyson's thoughts of Kai.

"Everyone trips! Not only me!"

"Yeah Yeah." Rei chuckles. "Go and pay for that dress so we can go somewhere else."

* * *

"**Where** are we going?" Rei asks them as Kenny takes the lead. The neko-jin starts to get a little tired of their shopping trip. He wants to return home and take a long nap since he knows that they've a challenge ahead of them. The battle against King and Queen will be a two on two battle and they've still not decided their two competitors for the match.

"To the game corner, I'm going to buy _that_ game today!" Kenny tells them in a very thrilled voice.

Kenny, who is a genius with computers, isn't only a gifted beyblade professor but also a PC game nerd. He loves to play games on his laptop when he gets time to and is a well-known player on the web. They enter the small game store and several heads turn their way. Some shy fans whisper as the team walks by but luckily no commotion takes place. Kenny´s smile fades when he takes the game down from the shelf.

"B-b-but they said that it would cost…." Kenny stutters as he sees the price.

Tyson looks at Kenny´s sad and surprised expression and glances at the price. He sighs mentally as he once again decides to buy an item for one of his friends. Tyson is well aware that Kenny has longed after that new game and it feels right to buy it for him.

"Let me." Tyson takes the game from Kenny´s hands.

"But Tyson! It's too expensive!" Kenny objects in a squeaky voice.

"Kenny it's fine! I won't need my money anyways!" Tyson laughs.

Kenny closes his mouth at this and lets Tyson buy the game for him. Even though he's happy for the game he feels strange about his friend's statement. He has accepted the fact that Tyson is dying but his heart aches when he acts like that; like he has no regrets.

During the day Tyson bought Rei, Max, Kenny and Hilary a lot of presents. None of them dared to object since he seemed so happy when buying them gifts. When the night started to make the sky black he paid for their food at a fancy restaurant.

* * *

**Kai **and Tyson walk together down the streets in the darkness. A small amount of light from the lampposts makes them able to see the road in front of their feet. The sky is pitch black and no stars can be seen. It has been a long day just as Tyson first thought. His head is throbbing faintly but the man is used to the pain and pays it no unnecessary attention. A new stiffness in his back worries him though and he tries to stretch his muscles but to no avail.

The reason why only Kai and Tyson are walking home is that Rei somehow forced Kai to tag along when Tyson decided to head home due to his headache and tiredness. The champion has no idea why Rei did that but a gut feeling tells him that the neko-jin knows something he's ignorant of. It's not that Tyson would have wanted Max or Kenny to follow him home more than Kai, it's just a little awkward to be alone with the enigma like this when he's uncertain of certain feelings for him. Tyson decides to break the silence and start a conversation.

"Kai I've thought about what you said the other day." Tyson looks at the road in front of him as he speaks. He feels slightly nervous about being alone with Kai like this and Kai´s eyes on him don't calm down the butterflies in his body. "And I need your help, everybody's help."

Kai stops walking unconsciously and it takes some time for Tyson to notice this in the darkness. The Japanese young man stops walking too and turns to face Kai, or the shadow he thinks is Kai.

"I want to tell the world about my cancer before the secret is out. I don't want that my friends and fans get to know about it from someone else than me. I thought about it for a long time and I got this wicked idea…" Tyson grins tiredly.

Kai stands still, silent in the shadows.

"I'm going to have this party at the dojo where all the competitors in this year's championship are invited. The coolest party ever! And I´ll of course invite some media people too… and make the big announcement. "

Kai regards Tyson is silence. He knows how hesitant Tyson has been about telling the world about his sickness but he's glad that he finally decided to do it. Some say that a sickness makes you both stronger and weaker and Kai has never found it more true than now.

"But is the dojo large enough?" Kai suddenly asks out loud. "You could use my place."

"The apartment?" Tyson utters in a very sceptical voice. "It's tiny compared to the dojo!"

"No, idiot." Kai frowns at his team mate's stupidity. "My mansion."

It takes some time for Tyson to grasp what Kai just offered but he smiles broadly when he does.

"Wow, Kai I had almost forgotten that you're a rich kid."

"Hn…" _It's not like I want to remember…_

"Then it's decided!" Tyson smiles brightly in a way that makes him seem more alive then he has been during these last weeks. "You guys gotta help me! We have so much to plan…" Tyson trails off.

Kai turns his gaze to Tyson once again as the sudden silence starts to bug him. Kai´s eyes narrow as he sees the distant look in Tyson´s eyes; it's like he's not there. Strange feelings invade Kai´s body at this and he feels so uncertain and even…worried.

"Tyson…?"

He gets no reaction. Kai looks at Tyson once again and his heart stops beating as he sees how the younger man starts to fall towards the ground.

"TYSON!"

* * *

**A **groan of pain breaks the silence in the room. Tyson's long eyelashes flutter as he opens his eyes slowly.

"Good morning sleeping beauty." An unfamiliar voice greets him.

"Where am I? Oh god, my head hurts." Another groan of pain leaves the champion's lips.

"The hospital." The man answers with a gentle smile.

The man walks over to Tyson's hospital bed. He's dressed in a white robe, a pair of jeans and a simple white t-shirt. He has short black hair and a pair of glasses that frames his quite good looking face.

"We gave you some heavy medicine there boy. Your pain will soon fade, trust me." The young man, or who Tyson believes is a doctor, tells him with a grin. "You'll probably lose some hair though."

"I´ll get bald!?" Tyson's eyes widen.

"Nah it was just a joke." The grin on his lips grows in size. "But you should consider it, taking that medicine will give you more time."

The fact that this man knows about his condition makes him uncomfortable and Tyson´s mood changes.

"It´ll force me to stay in bed, make me feel ill and make me bald. No thank you." Tyson snaps as he turns away to look at the scenery though the window. "Where is Dr. McKain?"

"Why call for him when you've me?" The man replies. Tyson has come to hate this doctor. "Don't worry he'll be here in no time." The man looks at the door when suddenly walks in. "When you talk about the devil."

"Good work, assistant Yamada. You can return home a little earlier."

"Geez, thanks!" The assistant, not doctor, smiles broadly at this.

Yamada waves good bye before he walks out of the room. Tyson doesn't return the gesture.

"Hey there, Tyson. So you fainted?"

"Uh-huh." Tyson nods." I did?" _Oh god, I was with Kai!_

The doctor takes some notes.

"I've to make you stay the night. I want to run some tests to see how your condition is, ok?"

"Oh man…" Tyson complains. "I've a lot to do right now and…"

"It's possible that you fainted due to exhaustion so take my offer and rest here." The doctor interrupts, he won't let Tyson leave.

"Seriously? I was just tired, that's all!"

"We won't know that until tomorrow." McKain looks at Tyson in a stern manner. "Prepare for x-rays in an hour."

"Yes sir." Tyson murmurs with sarcasm.

The doctor prepares himself to leave but he stops in the doorway.

"Tyson you've a visitor, should I send him in?"

"Eh… sure."

The doctor nods and Tyson hears how he speaks some few words to someone on the other side of the door. It doesn't take long until Tyson hears footsteps coming his way and he looks at the doorway with a curious expression on his face. _It can't be him right? He must have gone home by now…_Tyson's eyes widen as he sees the man he just thought of coming towards him. _Kai…_Tyson´s heart starts beating faster, his body gets hotter and a small blush grows on his cheeks as Kai looks his way.

"Oh Kai, I thought you went home." Tyson tells him in a surprised tone.

Kai decides not to answer since it wasn't really a question. The Russian enters the room and sits down on the lone chair.

"You fainted." Kai states the fact.

"Yeah"

"Tyson!" Kai roars suddenly which makes Tyson flinch by surprise. "You shouldn't have…!"

"Okay okay! It was number nine on my list."

"…" Kai glares at him. "To faint by exhaustion?"

"To do something for you guys for a whole day." Tyson explains. "And to buy you stuff too."

"Idiot." Kai mutters. He looks pissed but that's his way of showing that he cares. His jaws are tense as he bites on the inside of his lip, his hands are gripping the sheets of Tyson's bed so hard that his knuckles are turning white and Kai´s crimson eyes are full of emotion. "That bill won't be a pretty sight."

"You don't have to worry." Tyson tells him in a calm voice.

"You said that at the restaurant too."

Tyson turn quiet.

"I told you that I could help you with that list." Kai tells him, almost accusing him for not keeping a promise. Tyson looks at Kai when he notices this and a small smile grows larger on his lips. "So, what is your number 8 then?"

Tyson hesitates but he starts to talk when guilt enters his being. He has not treated Kai fairly. Kai trusted him when he said that he could help him with the list and instead of immediately taking that offer, Tyson stayed silent.

"This is kinda embarrassing…" Tyson can't help but turn a little in the bed but he decides to tell Kai when he notices that the enigma doesn't look amused or understanding. "A… kiss."

Tyson avoids looking at Kai after this and he pretends that the tree outside his window is really beautiful and interesting, even though it is not. He never thought that he would care about stuff like kisses, love and even sex but it's something that every person does many times in their life. Tyson doesn't have that time and he has to live a whole life in the period of some months. A sudden weight on the bed makes Tyson flinch and he looks up finding Kai on the side of his bead. Kai is leaning towards him with the half of his weight supported on the hospital bed. The champion flinches again when he notices their sudden closeness but he doesn't move away further for some reason.

"Kai…what are you …?"

A pair of soft lips touches Tyson's in a very gentle kiss. Tyson's eyes widen by shock as he feels how Kai´s eyelashes touch his skin when the enigma closes his eyes. The only thing he can hear is the constant beating of his heart, the sound is blocking the noise of the traffic outside. Tyson´s eyes get distant by his and Kai´s liplock and he is just about to respond when Kai pulls away with a quiet sigh.

"Eh…wasn't that a… little…?" Tyson finds himself stuttering as he leans toward Kai with a growing hunger in his eyes.

"Isn't this better than kissing a stranger?" Kai asks Tyson as he slowly follows Tyson´s movements and leans in again "It's just a kiss, Tyson." Kai assures him with fake indifference. Kai´s pulse is running out of control after their soft contact of lips and he finds himself wanting more, so much more. He _wants_ Tyson. Kai closes the distance between them again and moves his lips fiercely against his rival's. Tyson doesn't hesitate this time and responds to Kai´s actions immediately by scooting forward, putting his arm around Kai´s waist and pulling their bodies closer. Kai sucks on Tyson´s bottom lip before he releases it to slip his tongue into the warm interior of Tyson's mouth. A moan leaves Tyson as Kai puts his hands on each cheek and tilts his head to get better access to his warm cavern. Tyson gets submissive as Kai continues to dominate and devour him with an intense passion. Tyson is forced to break the heated kiss when the lack of air starts to make him dizzy. A single string of saliva connects their slightly swollen lips.

"Number 8; completed." Kai murmurs against his skin.

* * *

**"I thought I was alone, left out in the cold again.**

**So I'm giving you all I've got, I'm gonna make it through this night.**

**And even though I could fall, I'm prepared to lose the fight.**

**So get ready to break the ice.**

**Only you can make it right,**

**Only you can break the ice inside of me."

* * *

****AN; so done! Did you like it? I think I over did the Yaoi scene a bit but I hope no one cares! I have always liked when the beyblade characters are at a party or something like that so that's why I want to write one of my own. I've still not figured it out, will it be suits and dresses or a random party?**

**Question (answer if you've time to!) 1. How do you think all the beybladers will react when they get to know about the cancer? Who'll react the most? **

**Once again; thank you for all the support and reviews. I hope you´ll continue to enjoy this story! Please R&R! **


	11. Facing the world

**AN; thank you for your reviews! Here take some ice cream!!! Yummie. This is one of the longest chapters I think, about ten pages. Thank you Sparkleshadowcat for always helping me when I´ve a writer´s block! **

**Prepare yourself, there´ll be a lot of drama in this chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

****Tyson **sighs. He has been waiting for hours for his doctor to come and tell him about the results of their many tests yesterday. He's really tired but is on the edge, he's nervous and unsure. The very passionate kiss yesterday has been on his mind. It was so sudden, so hot and made him long for more but…what if Kai doesn't feel the same? Tyson can't deny that he's strongly attracted to his captain but the fact that he's dying makes it hard. There's no point in getting serious when he'll die soon anyway. It'll only hurt more to leave everything behind then but he doesn't want that these feelings fade. He wants to be as happy as he can become during his last days on earth.

Tyson leans back and tries to relax but is quickly interrupted by a knock on his door. Butterflies enter his stomach when the thought of Kai entering the room gives him hope but that hope disappears as he notices in the doorway.

"Ohayo gozaimasu."

"Good morning." Tyson mutters under his breath.

"How are you?"

"Better."

"That's good. We got the results earlier this morning."

"Okay, tell me." Tyson demands in a rather impatient tone. He wants to leave the hospital as fast as possible and start to plan how he would tell the world about him.

"The cancer you have is called Medulloblastoma." tells Tyson in a very calm voice. "It's a cancer that spreads quickly to other locations in the brain and spine…"

Tyson looks at the man with a tense expression. He feels that something is really wrong now, he can almost sense it in the air but importantly; his doctor's eerie calmness is not a good sign.

"It's good that you came here after all Tyson, because your cancer has spread to your spine and back." The man takes a deep breath. "There is now no chances of…surviving."

Even though Tyson is prepared to die does the fact hit him as a punch in his stomach. He has always had the thought of that last minute surgery as a last resort but it's now too late. Now, there is a name on his cancer; _Medulloblastoma_ a name that he can't pronounce correctly.

"The symptoms are vomiting, dizziness, morning headaches and sometimes stumbling and frequent falls…"

Tyson's eyes widen; he can remember that he's been through all of those symptoms. He can recall how he lost control over his body more than once yesterday.

"It's strange that we didn't think of it until now…" The Doctor murmurs with guilt.

"Yeah…" Tyson murmurs quietly. "So what's going to happen now?"

"There's not much we can do. We can give you some chemotherapy and make the cancer slow down a bit, but there's nothing more."

Tyson frowns at this. He doesn't want to take the anticancer drugs since it'll make him bald and very ill, but now that his cancer has worsen maybe it's worth it. He has to complete the list, but is there enough time? If he takes the drugs will he become well enough to continue with the seven remaining subjects?

"I'm suggesting that you should stay here at the hospital, go through the chemotherapy and rest in wait for your final day."

"You want me to stay? Hell no!" Tyson shouts out loudly but calms down when he sees his doctor's expression. "Sorry."

"It's only going to get worse, Tyson. Without the anticancer drugs you'll fall into a coma like manner in less than … I'm really suggesting that you do as I say now."

"What did you say, coma?"

"…" The man hesitates. "Your body is going to get much weaker quickly and there'll be a limit for what you can handle. You'll get tired easily and sleep more than a person normally does. Your body will eventually shut down, leaving you unable to communicate with others. It's like coma, a stage before the final sleep."

"If I don't go through that therapy… how long do I have before that coma thing?"

"It´s hard to say…"

"Will the drugs slow the process down?!"

"Tyson, calm down. The drugs will slow it down but you don't need to make a decision now. Go home, rest and come back in some days."

Tyson frowns as the doctor walks out on him without clearly answering his questions. A big lump of pain in his stomach makes him lay back down again. He doesn't want to take that medicine but he want to complete that list. What should he do?

* * *

**The **audience is wild as always as the Bladebreakers and team King and Queen enters the stadium but there's a certain question hanging in the air; where is Tyson? King glances over at the opposite team's bench before he looks Kai in the eye. The tanned and white haired teen is thrilled to battle Kai again but the news about Tyson being absent makes him feel uneasy. After all, his goal after beating Kai was to somehow beat the champion too. Queen follows her tag team partner and smiles teasingly up at the taller American who´ll be Kai´s partner..

"This will be a heated battle!" DJ Jazzman shouts. "The Bladebreakers has chosen Kai and Max as their representatives in this two on two fight! Will they be able to defend themselves against King's and Queen's splendid teamwork?"

"Ha ha! My defence together with Kai´s strength and stamina will give us the win!" Max tells himself with a chuckle of self-confidence.

"Where's Tyson?"

Max happiness fades quickly at this and he looks up with a pair of sad blue eyes when King utters the question. The blonde finds himself unable to answer. King notices this and frowns.

"He had other things to do." Kai answers in Max´s place in a rather cold and forced voice.

Kai ends the conversation as he takes forth his launcher and attaches his blue beyblade. He makes sure that King's questions about Tyson stays unanswered and hopes it'll stay that way until Tyson can tell him himself.

"Max, get ready." Kai tells his team mate when he notices that the blonde is spacing out.

"Uh?…Yeah!" Max snaps out of it and attaches his blade to his launcher as well. _I wonder…If Tyson is okay…?_

King and Queen prepare themselves while thinking that something is off with their opponents. They seem unfocused, stressed and have their thoughts on something else than the present match. Not that the two of them complains since it'll give them an advantage. King has always liked Kai´s beyblade and its parts so he can't wait to see how much the Russian has improved since their last battle.

"Get ready! 3…2…1…Let it rip!!!"

* * *

**The **team decides to visit Tyson together after a tough day at the stadium. The fact that one of the members is deadly ill has started to affect their beyblading skills.

"Hey we heard what happened, T-man. How are you?" Max asks his best friend. He's finally able to see how his friend is after a whole day of worrying.

But Max´s smile is not returned. Tyson sits there in silence while looking very miserable and fragile; almost depressed.

"Tyson…?"

"We have to start planning that party now. My time is soon … Fuck!"

The mere presence of his friends and team makes is so much harder for Tyson to hide his sadness. He thought that he didn't have any tears left but they're gathering again, threatening to fall. The champion shuts his eyes close and forces down the pain to go away._ I can't cry in front of them…_He inhales deeply and smiles after some moments.

"Oh no…" Hilary murmurs sadly.

"Did you get the results?" Kai asks him with tenseness in his voice.

"…Yeah. It has spread to my spine and back and is now…unstoppable." Tyson answers in a fake indifferent voice.

Kai tries to swallow his gasp of surprise and pain. His always cold eyes narrows as his chest starts to throb painfully and it's suddenly hard to breathe. His lips are in a thin line as he tries to swallow to ease the growing pain in his throat. But he can't control his emotions. He wants to hold Tyson close to him and take away all that pain, his and Tyson's but a certain neko-jin is a step ahead of him.

"Tyson, pull yourself together." Rei puts his hand on he champion's shoulder. "Kai told us about the party and we're all going to help. You're not alone, buddy."

Tyson blinks at this and the traces of tears near his eyelashes disappear.

"Rei…" Tyson looks at the Chinese man before he glances in Kai´s direction. _He?…Kai…_

New butterflies enter Tyson's being and he gets slightly dizzy after feeling first deeply depressed and then very nervous and warm.

"Should we have some kind of a theme?" Max asks, intending to break the heavy atmosphere but he accidentally interrupts Kai and Tyson's heated stare contest. The American is not a person who handles a sad situation well.

"A theme?" Tyson repeats in a surprised tone while trying to push away his desire to look at Kai.

"Yeah. Like a Halloween party!" Max makes gestures with his hands over his head.

"Some weeks too early Max." Kenny tells him sighing.

Tyson smiles weakly. He enjoys the way his team seems to care about him, how they wants to help but the thing he wants to hear about it beyblading. He feels bad when he thinks about Dragoon and that he's not been able to train properly for a long time now. It's not right to just let his blade turn to dust like it's doing at the moment.

"How did your match go?"

"Well, it went okay." Kenny answers with a white lie after a while of thought. "We won." _We were lucky, it was not our skills that gave us the victory this time... _

"Oh? Tell me more." Tyson's mood is slowly getting better.

"King and Queen were really good." Hilary tells Tyson with a gentle smile. "Kai had to get serious in the end."

"Hn." Kai snorts.

He dislikes the way the others pretend that their match went well. The captain blames himself somewhat since he as well couldn't focus on the battle and win flawlessly as he often does. Something, or rather someone, has been on his mind all day.

"Kai being serious?" Tyson grins while glancing at Kai once again. " I wish that I was there to see that."

Kai looks down at the young man in the hospital bed and crimson eyes meet brown. Seeing Tyson grin awakens emotions within Kai and his irritation grows, just as his longing for the other. The Russian can't help it, he's fighting these emotions that Tyson helped him regain. They confuse him, take away his focus but …they make him feel strangely happy and warm. He both hates and likes it. Kai snorts as he turns away to stare out the window and he notices that his pulse is louder than it was before.

"Hahah." Rei laughs in a very forced voice. The neko-jin can literally read his two love struck team mate's thoughts and decides to step in before someone else notices. "Our next battle is against an unknown team so…Maybe you can come and see us play?"

"I hope so."

A loud knock can be heard and the conversation dies.

"Come in."

Tyson frowns as he sees that it's assistant Yamada.

"Oh, crowded as always heh?" The man jokes.

"…." Tyson ignores the man. "Can I leave now?"

"Yeah, you're free to go. Remember to think it through and decide before it gets too late, ok?"

Yamada pats Tyson's back but the champion doesn't hesitate to push away his hand before he slides out from the warm sheets and gets up on his feet.

"Yeah yeah."

The team walks down the corridor but they're quick to notice that they've to lower their speed. Tyson is walking slowly behind them and the Bladebreaker´s eyes narrow a little as they see how he walks with caution as if he's afraid of falling.

"What did he mean by that?" Hilary asks Tyson after a while. She's referring to what Yamada told him back in the hospital room.

"They want to give me anticancer drugs. I've still not decided about what to do."

* * *

**Two days later. **

**A large** building gets even larger as the cab drives closer to the old and deserted Hiwatari estate. A deep forest surround the mansion and they've to follow a small road to make it to the entrance. A large fountain is located near the house and the cab turns in the round about around the piece of art and all the bladers stare out the windows at the impressive house of the one and only Hiwatari Kai. The estate seems to have about three floors, possibly a fourth floor, with a lot of space.

Kai gets out of the cab after paying the chauffeur and joins his team near the fountain. Kai doesn't waste any time there and opens the large door with a key that feels very foreign in his hand. It was a long time ago that he last opened this door, if he remembers it correctly, the last time he ate supper with his grandfather here was before the American tournament when he was only fifteen years old.

Kai hesitates for a moment before he pushes open the door.

"Woah! Your place is awesome Kai!" Max exclaims while he looks around. "It's soooo BIG!"

"Hn." _…not really Max…_

The house is close to empty with some sheet-covered furniture left from Kai´s childhood there. The emptiness makes their voices bounce back at them and the size of the room makes it even more noticeable.

"It's nice and all… but very dirty." Kenny complains as he notices how his blue jeans have turned grey by dust.

"We just have to clean, Kenny. Not a big deal!" Hilary tells him. Memories from the time she forced Tyson to clean the classroom enters her mind. A smile grows bigger on her lips.

So the team split up and started cleaning Kai´s mansion. Tyson starts to clean the dining room together with Hilary and Kenny while Rei and Max cleans the living room and Kai walked off somewhere.

Tyson decides to clean the windows from the inside as a start. The large see-through windows are not that see-though anymore due to dust and dirt but you can easily notice how the size of them tells a story of wealth. A story about a life that's so different from his own. Tyson uses a small ladder to reach the highest parts of the glass and starts to wipe it clean. He stops to clean when he sees the beautiful garden through the now somewhat clean windows. But it's not the view that takes him off guard, it's the fact that Kai stands there while gazing at something in the distance.

"…Kai?"

Tyson gets the feeling of that something is bothering the older man when he sees how tense his body language is. The two of them has not talked a lot after the kiss incident and it makes the Japanese worry. _Kai said it was only a kiss right? So it can't be the reason behind his mood? I hope not. _Tyson's thoughts are interrupted by a sudden dizziness at the same time as an urge to vomit invades his body. He puts his hand against the glass to regain his balance while he uses his other one to force back the puke down his throat again. He doesn't want Kenny and Hilary to notice so he stumbles down from the ladder as quickly as possible. But when he's on the ground again does he lose his balance once again and trips over his own feet.

"Hmpf!" Kenny groans when he and Tyson collide. "Tyson?"

"S-sorry." Tyson apologises with his hands over his mouth.

"What? Oh!" Kenny's expression looks both worried and disgusted as he notices what's going on. "Use the bucket!"

Tyson doesn't have any time to object and is quick to pull his fringe out of the way as he throws up. He closes his eyes when the bitter taste reaches his mouth and it reminds him of the breakfast he ate this morning. His head starts to hurt when his constant coughing and throwing up makes him unable to breathe properly.

"Tyson are you alright?!" Hilary shouts as she sees the scene. Tyson nods out of breath and wipes away the sweat on his forehead. "You're not ok!"

Hilary walks forward, grabs Tyson by the shoulder and forces him to sit down.

"Tyson, sit down. We'll take care of this. Kenny chance the water we can't clean this place with…uh…puke."

"Why?" Tyson asks her as he wipes his mouth. He tries to act as if he's just fine.

"You shouldn't tire yourself!" She tells him in a motherly voice. "You're sick, remember?"

"Oh… thanks Hilary." He sighs. _It's not like she needed to point that out. _"This is a little different from how you treated me when it was my turn to clean the classroom…Was it in the 8th grade?" Tyson changes the subject.

"Hahah. Yeah. I used to hunt you like crazy." The woman chuckles. "It was a long time ago."

"Tyson almost missed a competition because of you. I´ll never forget…"Kenny tells them from the kitchen.

Tyson listens to his friends but doesn't take part in the conversation. He feels really tired all of a sudden like his energy followed his food down the bucket.

* * *

**Max **and Rei help out in the living room and is now cleaning the floor with hot water and soap. Both of them know that it's a challenge since the room is huge! Rei, who knows about Kai´s relationship with the original owner of the house, ponders over why Kai suddenly decided to visit his old home. _Because of Tyson, ne? _The neko-jin grins to himself, he was right about Kai. The stoic and proud Russian is getting softer and softer.

Max is kneeling down on the floor as he rubs it with a small brush. The American's hands are starting to look like raisin due to the water and soap. A soft and cheerful melody emerges from his lips as he hums in an attempt to make his work more fun. The melody starts to sound forced after awhile and it stops. Rei glances at his friend when he starts to miss the sound and notice how Max is spacing out with a sad expression on his face.

"Max, what's wrong?" Rei asks when he notices that Max is sitting motionless on the floor. "Did you get soap in your eyes?"

Max gets back to reality and blinks. He turns to Rei and gives him a weak smile. "No."

"What is it?" Rei demands. "I can see that something is wrong."

A deep sigh leaves Max lips, which makes Rei frown. It's not often Max acts like this and it bothers him somewhat.

"You k-k-know. Seeing Tyson this weak scares me." Max hides his face from Rei´s vision. "He and Kenny was my first friends here in Japan and now I'm going to lose one of them."

Max talks about his feelings in a sad tone.

"Max…"

"When I wake up in the morning my first thought is; _is Tyson still here?_ And I can't help but worry all the time."

"It's ok Max. I think Tyson gets a more help than you think."

Rei smiles as he pats Max´s head gently.

"What do you mean?" Max asks him in a suspicious tone.

Rei reels back out of surprise. _Shit… why did I mention it?_ The Chinese man sweat drops anime style at his own stupidity.

"Haha, I mean… we're here for him right? We're cleaning this place for his sake, right?"

"…Yeah!" Max starts to smile.

Rei sighs in a relived manner, he's safe. The two of them grin at each other before they continue on with the cleaning. The two of them finishes their job quickly and is done when the day turns into night.

"Oh Rei, Max are you two done with the living room?" Hilary asks them as they enter the dining room.

"Yeah somewhat but there's still much left to clean elsewhere." Rei answers with a tired sigh.

Rei and Max join the others around the table and enjoy sitting down when they've been standing, kneeling down or walking all day. Kenny walks into the room with sandwiches and drinks and he gasps when all the snacks are gone before he even got the chance to but them down at the table.

"Hey!" He complains, glaring at his friends.

"Sorry Chief but I'm starving!" Max tells him with his mouth full. He offers Tyson one of the few that are left. "Don't you want one Tyson?"

"No I'm not hungry." _I don't want to throw up again…_

Max looks at Tyson with sad eyes for a moment before he withdraws his hand. His eyes move to the door when Kai enters the room in silence. The Russian is quick to sit down next to Kenny and stays silent.

"How should we invite everyone?" Hilary asks suddenly. She wants to change the subject and lighten up the atmosphere in the room.

"Use the TV." Kai answers bluntly.

"What!?" The others flinch.

"The media wants news right? So let's give them some." He explains in a bored tone.

"Great idea!" Tyson smiles. "Thanks Kai!"

Kai looks up and a small, nearly unnoticeable blush grows on his cheeks. Tyson's broad smile that greets him makes his face burn like never before and Kai turns away with a snort. He thought that the fresh air helped him to calm down, but he was wrong. Just being close to Tyson makes every fibre inside of him jump.

"Hn."

* * *

**A **comfortable light shines from the many windows of the mansion and makes the darkness less intimidating. Several cars are parked near the entrance of the Hiwatari compound and more and more guests arrive, both well-known faces and unknown. The day is finally here; the day when Tyson will make his big announcement and hopefully ease his pain from lying all the time.

Rei, who has worked as a waiter, walks around handing his fellow bladers drinks and snacks with a gentle smile on his lips. The neko-jin is wearing a beautiful Chinese styled kimono for men in white and golden colours and the cloth makes the man look like a prince from a fairytale. His long hair is loose and touches his back neatly, which makes him look even more cartoon-ish.

Max, who is the party dude on the team, decided to make sure that the right music is played so he's with Rick. The blonde likes to wear casual clothes but he putted on a nice suit for this event since he knows how much it means to Tyson. But he's still thinking that he looks like a penguin when walking. The brown skinned American greets Max with a grin and the two of them starts to chat. Rick and Max became good friends during the third championship and use to hang out when they're both in the states.

Kenny feels very uncomfortable in his brown suit and re-ties his green necktie once again. The young man can't help but blush when Ming-ming walks by and his uneasiness fades immediately. A certain American computer-loving girl dislikes this though.

Hilary walks around in her high heels and blood red dress and greets everybody with a gentle smile. She loves this kind of occasions, well if you skip what will happen later, and Hilary makes sure that she's enjoying herself. The young woman is silently enjoying the attention some male bladers give her. People seems to have noticed that she's not the same girl as she was before.

Kai is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn't look too happy. The fact that almost every beyblader that he knows is talking calmly in the mansion that he live in together with Voltaire makes him shiver. No one else seems to feel these vibes though and he's left to sulk by himself. Kai is wearing a dark suit and the cloth compliments his features nicely.

"Hey, Hiwatari." Kai turns around when an annoying voice calls out his name.

"McGregor…"

The red head European stands there dressed in a flashy suit looking as proper as he can look but Kai´s gaze stops at the purple bandana. _He can't go anywhere without it? _Johnny seems to notice Kai´s sceptical expression and the Scotsman frowns.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I didn't come here to see you. Where's Tyson?"

"I've no clue." Kai answers bluntly and turns away again.

"Hey!?" Johnny grabs Kai´s shoulder to get his attention. "I'm speaking to you!"

"If you want to find Tyson, ask Hiro."

"Grumpy as always, huh?" Johnny snorts and walks away.

Kai glances at the retreating European before he turns to look out through the window. His crimson eyes widen as he spots the man everyone has been asking about. A person is sitting all alone near the fountain, almost hidden by the flow of the water, but Kai recognises the back of the person. It's Tyson. _Why is he over there? Shouldn't he be preparing? _Kai ponders as he regards Tyson from a distance.

Kai pushes himself away from the wall and walks through the crowded living room to finally meet his team mates. The young man ignores the way several females stare at him and keeps his head high, he has no time to lose chatting with girls.

"Hey Kai." Rei greets him with a simple nod.

"Where's Tyson? Have you seen him?" Max asks in a worried tone. "Do you know?"

"I've not seen him around but the guests are starting to get angry due to his absence." Rei tells them in a bothered tone. "Kai can you go and look for him?"

"Why Kai? I want to…" Max starts to object; the blonde is so clueless.

"I´ll go, Max. Enjoy the party." Kai interrupts and he's quick to leave the two behind.

Rei gives Kai´s back a final glance before he puts his arm around Max´s shoulders. The neko-jin is well aware of that his younger friend is suffering more than others seem to notice. A heavy feeling burdens Rei, a feeling of that their team is slowly breaking apart due to… everything. When Max looks up does Rei smile in a comfortable manner and gives him the bowl with snacks.

"Thanks."

* * *

**Today** is the day. The day when Tyson will tell the world about his cancer but instead of greeting his guest is the host hiding to calm his nerves. Tyson is sitting alone near the fountain and enjoys how the cold breeze mixed with water cools down his body. The silence around him is very enjoyable and he's happy that no one has found him yet. He saw Miguel earlier but managed to sneak away luckily. Tyson uses his fingers as a comb and plays with his hair.

He's afraid and he's nervous. These irritating feelings are devouring him even though he tries to think about something else. He can't focus and he can't think clearly. _I am so dead! _Tyson's combing turns to scratching and he groans with irritation.

"Kuso!"_ Shit!…Why did this happen again? Why did I decide to make a speech??? NANDE!? WHY!?_

He is hurting, so badly.

"Tyson."

Tyson turns around to look at the one who found him. Tears start to fall when his eyes meet Kai´s glowing ones.

"Oh Kai! H-hello I´m just…" Tyson stutters uncharacteristically. "Wha---?"

Tyson is interrupted when Kai suddenly but gently cover the Japanese's cheek with his hand. The small gesture makes Tyson gaze up into Kai´s crimson eyes which makes him look so innocent. A shiver runs down his spine when Kai´s thumb slowly wipes away one of his tears; his touch feels like a soft caress. Tyson leans towards the touch, just like a kitten asking for comfort, and more tears appear as he closes his eyes. Kai´s chest aches uncontrollably and he bites his lip hard to make him focus. The Russian embraces Tyson firmly to feed his hunger for the other man and to make sure that Tyson can't see his face.

Kai holds Tyson protectively in his arms and Tyson can feel Kai´s heartbeat against his skin. It's just as rapid as his own and the strange and exotic feeling in his chest grows strong as his brain grasps the fact. _Kai must feel it too._ Tyson swallows his saliva. _This desire…_Tyson relaxes slowly and leans against Kai´s hard frame.

Kai hurts so much. It's a pain that you will never feel due to physical damage. His insides hurts so bad and Kai knows that the only remedy is in his arms. A thought lingers in the back of his mind; telling him that maybe it would be better to stop now but he ignores it. But he can't ignore his sudden desire to be closer to Tyson.

Kai let his hand move over Tyson's back sensually while he runs his other hand through Tyson's hair and hugs the champion's body tightly against him. Tyson is forced to rely on Kai to balance their weight when the Russian lifts him up from the ground. The Japanese man clings to Kai as if his life depends on it and the kiss takes him by surprise. Kai´s mouth moves hungrily over Tyson´s and the power behind it pushes his head back, prompting Tyson to take a hold of Kai´s shirt to stay upright. Tyson is quick to close his eyes and enter the world of darkness as he returns the kiss with equal passion. A loud groan of satisfaction emerges from Tyson as his captain's tongue slips past his lips and starts to devour him completely. _It feels like my heart is about to burst!_ But Kai breaks the kiss just as suddenly as he started it and a disappointed sigh leaves Tyson.

_This is wrong. I should not feel this way towards him, why did I do it?! _He tries to tell himself that it's nothing more than him comforting breaks the kiss and pulls Tyson towards his chest again and holds him close, making sure that he won't run away from him. _Fuck…it was our third kiss. _The foreign warmth inside of him after their kiss doesn't leave him alone and he silently longs for more. _Why did I've to get these feelings now? _Kai curses his weakness mentally. The feelings that he learnt to ignore are coming back in full force now when Tyson is there with him, answering his feelings like it's natural to do so.

"Kai…?" Tyson murmurs his name against his skin.

A strange warmth invades Kai´s body and he recognises it as happiness but a very heavy pressure keeps Kai depressed though. He's _probably_ in love with his team mate, a person who he always thought was annoying, immature and a person who he had to beat. Tyson was his rival. Kai frowns. The problem isn't that Tyson is a man. Kai has never despised people who love someone of the same gender, or to put it bluntly, he has never cared about other's business in that way. But the fact that he's _in love_ with a _man_ that's just about to _die_ makes him feel strange and hopeless.

Kai knows that he'll feel true happiness if he gives in to his emotions further but his happiness will turn into a tragedy. Their romance and his first love will turn into a tragedy in the end. What will he do when Tyson is no longer here with him? Maybe it's better to end this now before it gets too serious? Tyson doesn't need anymore hardships to think about right now. Kai can't continue this even though he wants it so badly; he can't be that selfish.

"Tyson, go and tell them. Or do I've to bring you there by force?" Kai threatens him in a husky voice.

* * *

"**Where **is he?" Hiro asks out loud. "He's late!"

The older Granger glances down at his wrist clock for the 100th time that hour and exhales deeply. He has been standing near the kitchen together with DJ. Jazzman for a while now in their wait for Tyson but the youth is more than a half-hour late. Everybody is starting to wonder where the champion is and they can't say _please wait some more _to the journalists and irritated bladers. The door opens suddenly and both Hiro and the DJ sighs relieved.

"There you are! What took you so long?" Hiro complains.

"We were about to start the show without you!" Jazzman jokes.

"Sorry…"

Tyson's eyes widen when he's suddenly pulled into a tight hug. Hiro is hugging him softly. The show of brotherly affection takes him by surprise and he returns the hug after a while of hesitation.

"_I tried to reach him but…he couldn't make it." _Hiro whispers quietly into his ear. You can clearly notice his anger behind those words even though he's trying to hide it. _"That bastar…."_

"It's okay. I didn't expect him to show up. I'm used to it." Tyson smiles. "Thanks brother."

Tyson forces a smile to his lips as he breaks the embrace but the weak attempt to seem happy doesn't fool Hiro at all.

"Are you ready to go, Tyson?" Jazzman asks with a smile.

"Yeah."

Hiro watches Tyson's back as his younger brother follows the DJ into the living room where the speech will take place. _I've to find grand father…where did he go? _He scratches his head and turns around nearly bumping into someone.

"Oh Kai." _Was he with Tyson before? _

Kai looks up at the slightly taller teen with an indifferent expression for a moment before he passes him without saying a word. Hiro frowns at this and regards the retreating back of Kai. _What's wrong with him? Is this about Tyson…? The two of them has become pretty close. _Hiro shakes his head. _I need to find Gramps._

Tyson looks at the crowded room in silence as he and the Dj walks towards the stairs where he will tell everyone.

"Welcome everybody to this splendid party hosted by Tyson Granger and the Bladebreakers. Are you having fun?" The experienced talker starts to speak.

Several cameras are directed at them but Tyson tries to ignore the way everyone in the room is staring at him. He feels like an animal at the zoo but swallows his pride and smiles. This is the last thing he can do for his friends and fans all over the world and he can't leave a bad impression.

"So over to Tyson!"

Dj Jazzman hands him the microphone with a smile that Tyson returns. A inhales deeply before he turns to look at his guests with a smile on his lips. He can see his friends below him, standing there with curious expressions on their faces, waiting for the announcement. Tala and his team looks pissed, Julia and Raul seems to get along for the first time during the party and even the lazy Brooklyn looks alert down there.

"Hello everybody. I'm really happy that so many of you could come today." Tyson tells them.

The light in the room changes suddenly as the journalists starts to do their job, they're recording, broadcasting and taking pictures for tomorrow's news. Tyson squints as he continues to speak. His smile doesn't leave his lips.

"But I guess you want to hear the reason behind this flashy party?"

"It started a while back when I got headaches that never would disappear, I vomited and I became weak…And I fainted during a training season."

"I woke up at the hospital and the doctor said that I… was sick. Really sick."

"Guys I gathered you all here today to inform you about that…I am dying. I've cancer."

An eerie silence spreads in the room but a glass falls to the ground and breaks it. Salima´s nice dress gets dirty by the drink but she doesn't seem to notice. The red head is staring at Tyson with an unreadable expression.

"What do you mean!?" Kane shouts out in a frustrated manner. He puts his arm around Salima´s shoulders.

"Are you serious, dude?" Eddy from the All Stars utters with wide eyes.

The silence is broken and all blader´s voices turns into a buzzing noise below Tyson. Confusion, sadness and surprise are mixed together and everything turns chaotic. The champion's smile fades at last and he frowns at the scene in front of him. It´s like the calmness before the storm.

"Please listen!" Tyson tries to silence his friends. "It's true, I´ll die. I don't have much time left so I want to thank all of you for being there for me during my years as the beyblade champion. I won't make it this year and I guess it's good cus now somebody else gets the chance to shine, ya know?" Tyson tries to joke about it.

But his attempt to make the situation less chaotic is a failure and he's forced to get serious again quickly. It turns eerie silent once again.

"I wanted to say that I appreciate everything. My time as a Bladebreaker has been the best time of my life and I hope that all of you will remember me after my death. N-no hero… wants to be f-forgotten." Tyson's voice breaks. "Thank you."

And hell breaks loose.

* * *

**AN; thank you for reading this far! Phew, a lot happened here... I hope you enjoyed it though. It was really strange cus one day I saw an article in the news about the cancer Tyson is suffering with. It was scary cus everything matched Tyson´s sickness that I´ve only created of my poor knowledge of cancer. It was sad to se such a young man to die from a sickness that "only kills adults." I know a lot of people who has cancer and it´s scary to see that so many really gets affected by it. I saw today that a ten year old got breast cancer...I think we should fight it and make the world a better place! **

**An inmportant thing to remember is to be there for people who needs help and support. Don´t forget it. **

**I´ve some questions for you! **

**1. what will Kai do now? In what way will he tackle his emotions?**

**2. Is there some way for Tyson to survive? what´s your oppinion/ wish?**

**3. who did Hiro talk about before Tyson´s speech? Do you´ve a clue?**

**R&R! Have a nice day!**


	12. Number 7 and 6 part 1

**AN; thank you for the reviews! 100? I´m so happy! I hope you´ll continue to enjoy and review this story since it makes my day when I get your comments. Thank you for all of your help! Now, on with chapter 12.**

"_**Oreta awai tsubasa**_

_**Kimi wa sukoshi**_

_**Aosugiru sora ni tsukareta dake sa**_

_**Mou dareka no tame ja nakute**_

_**Jibun no tame ni waratte ii yo, "**_

**Tyson **stares at the crowd below him without a sound because the people down there are really frustrated, hurt and probably mad at him. He knows that he has to face his friends' anger and questions but he doesn't know if he will handle the pressure.

"That was all I wanted to say." Tyson ends his speech.

DJ Jazzman stands there with wide eyes and mouth open still unable to grasp what Tyson just told the world. He almost drops the microphone when Tyson returns it as he passes by.

"Eh…" DJ Jazzman can't help but stumble after words. "That was all. Stop recording. "

He frowns as he put his hand over a camera and pushes the reporter away. The media people start to ask questions immediately and the cosy darkness in the room is ruined when they take pictures. Tomorrow's headline is now decided.

"I can't believe it… " A shocked Zeo murmurs.

The young man bites his lip to keep away his tears. His older team mate Gordo puts his hand on his shoulder. The red head has never really gotten to know Tyson well enough to like or hate him but this announcement did shock him. Tyson is a person he aimed to beat in the dish and he's no too sick to even enter the competition.

"Don't worry Zeo, Tyson is a strong man. "

Ozuma stares at Tyson´s retreating back with wide green eyes. He can't believe what one of his rivals just said. The master of the holy bitbeast Dragoon will die and the balance will be disturbed. One thing that scares him though is that he's more concerned about Tyson than the four bitbeasts´ fate.

"Oh my god." Mariam murmurs with a shocked expression on her face.

"Why didn't he tells us about this earlier?" Lee asks everybody in an angry voice. He seems to express his sadness through anger. "Has he been lying all this time?"

"Calm down Lee!" His sister Mariah tries to calm him down and stop the chaos.

"Don't blame Tyson!" Miguel tells everybody but aims at Lee. "The one in pain is him, not you, right?"

"Yeah stop talking shit about Tyson!" Rick agrees with Miguel.

"What do you mean _talking shit? _We are his friends so why didn't he tell us?" Johnny agrees with Lee.

And the verbal fight is started and the earlier happy and celebrating young bladers are arguing with pain behind their comments, anger behind their curses and confusion behind their falling tears. The quarrel almost gets physical when someone thinks it's enough.

"STOP IT!"

Everyone in the living room stops talking when a loud feminine voice breaks the noise. Mathilda stands behind the crown and everybody turns to glance her way. Several eyes narrow as they notice the tears in her eyes and their desire to fight fades.

"How can you fight in a time like this?" The girl murmurs in a sad voice. "Don't you understand that…"

Her voice breaks and she's forced to look away to gather up new courage. A heavy and tense silence spread in the room and everything seems to stand still. Lee and Miguel look at each other before looking away with a hint of shame in their eyes.

"This is the reason why he didn't tell us." Tala breaks the tense silence in a very cold voice. He continues on Mathilda´s sentence without showing her any sign of acknowledgement. "He knew that you would react this way."

His ice-cold eyes make the others stay silent. Tala looks away and his team mate nods, before they leave the party. The tense atmosphere breaks somewhat as the Russians exits the building and everybody inhales deeply.

* * *

**Tyson** sits in the living room with his cellphone in his hand, he's waiting for a reply from a certain Russian. He typed him a message yesterday, asking Kai to help him with his list, but he has still not replied. This makes Tyson wonder, Kai use to be the one who answers right away.

Several loud knocks are heard and the sound makes the younger Granger sigh with irritation. Tyson has not been able to leave the house without getting jumped by reporters that wants him to answer _some _questions. It can be both journalists or friends but it still hard to face them after the party some days ago. Tyson wants that everybody should accept the fact that he's dying quickly and move on, so he can actually die in peace.

"Hiro can you..?" Tyson asks his brother to open the door since he´s to tired and dizzy to do it himself.

"Yeah, damn reporters. They've no limits!"

Hiro walks toward the door, opens it and is just about to tell whoever it's to leave when his expression changes. Tyson leans in the sofa to see who the person are but he can't see him.

"Why did you decide to show up now?" Tyson hears how Hiro asks the person in the doorway. His brother's angry tone makes him tense and alert. "Don't you've work to do?"

"Hiro, I rushed over when I got the news. I had no idea…."

"That's only natural since you never bothered to see how we were doing." Hiro interrupts the man in an angry voice.

"Where's Gramps?" The man changes the subject to avoid Hiro´s growing rage.

Tyson's eyes widen as he sees how the man leans to take a look inside the house. It's the man that he could never forget or forgive; his father. His body turns cold at the sight of him and he leans back so he won't get noticed.

"Gramps is currently practising Kendo and doesn't want to get disturbed."

"I'm his son, of course he wants to…"

"I'm _your_ son! …And look how you treated me and Tyson." Hiro counter attacks. "Go back to Australia and dig after your bloody dinosaurs!" Hiro snaps at him.

Hiro shuts the door violently, in the man's face. A deep sigh leaves the older Granger's lips as he rejoins Tyson in the living room in front of the TV. He can feel the way his brother is glancing at him before he turns away to stare expressionlessly at the moving pictures on the TV screen.

"Tyson are you alright?" Hiro breaks the silence.

"Yeah, thanks." Tyson sighs at last. " I didn't expect him to come."

Number 7 on Tyson's list is that his father would return home but he finds it hard to accept. His return won't change the fact that his job is more important to him than his family. Tyson is well aware of that his father started to create a distance between himself and his family when his mother died several years ago. He used his job as an excuse to get away from his pain and responsibilities as a father and only returned when he had to. Tyson wants his old father back, he wants his family to stay together when his time's up. So he can't really say that he completed number 7 at all.

A soft pat on his shoulder takes Tyson back to reality. Hiro smiles down at him weakly before he helps his younger brother to move into the kitchen. Tyson's stumbling has gotten a lot worse and he can't walk without losing his balance or looking funny anymore. It's hard to see him getting weaker by each passing day and the Granger family has started to prepare themselves for the final day.

Tyson looks at the screen of the cellphone once again but still no reply from Kai.

* * *

**Tyson **walks slowly towards Max´s place. He ignores everyone around him since they either looks at him strangely, starts talking about how sorry they are or treats him like some freak. Some small children snickers and calls him a duck since he walks like one when others can't face him due to their sympathy. He knew he did the right thing to tell the world but he has to face the consequences of his actions.

Tyson feels how his body objects when he walks up the stairs to finally arrive at the street Max lives. It seems like he can't endure a normal walk without breaking a sweat anymore. He wipes his forehead clean before he knocks on the door.

"Hey Tyson!" Max greets him with a smile. "Come in. Do you want some soda?"

"Yeah sure."

Max helps Tyson to enter the room since a pair of quite bothersome stuff is lying in the way. It feels strange to get help with such an easy task but nothing is easy for Tyson now. Tyson glances at Max when the blonde drags him through the corridor, past the living room and into the kitchen. It's like the American doesn't want him to see something.

"Here, it's my favourite; melon flavoured." Max hands him the drink. "Let's sit down, ok?"

Tyson and Max sit down by the kitchen table and enjoy the cold drink together. The nice tasting liquid makes Tyson's hot body feel better and his sweating stops after a while. He looks at Max´s face with an eerie feeling growing in his stomach; is the blonde hiding something from him?

"Have you seen Kai? I can't reach him on the phone." Tyson can't help but think that it's something about Kai that makes the always bubbly man to act this way.

"Kai? Well he didn't show up for yesterday's battle but he said he had something important to take care of." Max answers honestly. "He's the mysterious type so…"

Tyson nods. _So he hasn't only avoided me…_It makes him feel a little better but Max´s tense smile doesn't disappear. It must be something else bothering the American. Tyson takes another sip of his soda. _I'm always thinking about Kai nowadays… _

"Hey, Maxie. Is there something bothering you?"

"What? No!" Bull's eye.

"You can tell me. Everyone has been really nice to me so I might be able to return the favour. What has happened?"

"It's nothing, really."

Tyson knows it's not true but doesn't push the other any further. The two of them drinks in silence until a pair of far away voices breaks the silence. Max´s eyes widen while Tyson leans to his side in an attempt to see who's talking in the hobby shop. Max jumps out of his chair and cuts of Tyson´s view by waving his arms. Tyson frowns and gets up his feet.

"Max out of the way."

Max is about to object but he can't when Tyson glares at him. He sighs and steps to the side in defeat. Tyson stumbles through the corridor and looks into the hobby shop. His eyes widen at the sight.

"Father!" Tyson gasps.

The man, who's currently talking with Max´z dad, turns around and their eyes meet.

"...Tyson."

* * *

**Tyson **fidgets with his cup of coffee and avoids looking at his father. After the meeting at the hobby shop Tyson agreed to eat lunch with his father and they're now sitting together at a nice restaurant. But the nice surroundings, the nice scent of newly baked pizzas and the bright sun doesn't make Tyson feel any more comfortable. It makes him feel ill.

"So you're back." Tyson tries to start a conversation by stating the fact.

The man takes of his cowboy hat and Tyson looks at his face. He has aged since he last saw him and the wrinkles around his eyes have grown more noticeable.

"Yeah…I arrived in Japan this morning."

"Oh." _He was in a hurry… huh… _

A new uncomfortable silence takes place and both of them tense somewhat. Tyson sees how his father tries over and over again to restart the conversation but he can't find the right words.

"I heard about the… about the cancer." He finally says.

"Yeah I guess so. The whole world knows by now." Tyson is sure to make it clear; the fact that he knows isn't a big deal to him since everybody knows now.

"It's hard dad, hard to see if you're serious. The only thing your serious about is your job." Tyson tells the man truthfully. "It's true that I want us to become a family but I don't know now. Maybe it's too late?"

"I want to be there for you, I know that I've not been a great father but I want to change that _before it's to late._"

He wants to tell Tyson that there's still time left but he only sees faults. Tyson sees it like his father's regretting not being there because he'll feel guilty when Tyson passes away. Maybe he arrived in Japan to make him feel better about himself?

"So you're doing this for your sake?" Tyson snaps. "You only want to ease the feeling of guilt, right? Or do you care?"

"Tyson…" He complains, irritated by the way Tyson sees things.

"It's so hard! And confusing!" Tyson exclaims. "How can I trust you?"

The two of them stare at each other for a long time. The older of the two is in deep thought since he knows that every word that comes out of his mouth is greatly judged by his son. He sighs deeply before he commences.

"I thought I would have more time to make things good again so I wanted to take my time and figure out how to apologise properly. But seeing you on the TV, telling everyone about the cancer, made me understand that there's not much time left at all. That's why I had to do this and act like…" He tries to explain. "I shouldn't had taken time for granted. I'm sorry."

Tyson can't help but feel slightly surprised by the sincere apology and he can't find something to doubt in his words. _Everybody makes mistakes, right? Maybe he really wanted to be here in Japan all along…with us. _The angry expression fades from his face and he looks, really looks, into his father's eyes for the first time.

He came and supported him during the championship in Russia several years ago, the memory of the cold night comes back to Tyson, and new hope starts to grow. His father has supported them in several ways even though he rarely showed his face. An example is money. Tyson is well aware of that Gramps could never run the dojo or pay the bills with the money from the kendo lessons alone, these are facts that the champion has forgotten due to all feelings and stress. It might be Tyson who acts spoiled when he wants his family to be together?

Tyson shakes his head before he dares to send the man a small and hesitant smile. The Japanese young man knows that he won't gain anything by blaming his father any longer. He can't gain anything without risking anything.

"Why don't stay at the dojo for a while? Gramps would be glad but…you better apologise to Hiro too. Dad."

"Yeah, that sounds nice…"

"Good." Tyson answers with a small smile. "I've to go now, I need to talk to Kai. I see you later ok?"

Tyson pushes himself up from the chair with some labour and stumbles away towards the exit. His father follows Tyson's every move with a distant and sad expression on his aged face.

* * *

**Several **grey clouds cover the sky and the sun has no chance to shine down on Tokyo's streets this day. Tyson is sitting on a park bench in thought; so much has happened in no time at all. He thought that the party would make him tired but now when his father is here, everything had gotten worse and it makes him so stressed. He has a huge decision to make and he want Kai´s opinion on it but he's not been around for days now. The sudden cold wind makes him shiver.

He has to decide if he should take the medicine or not and he has no clue what option that's going to give him most time. Tyson will live longer if he takes the medicine but he'll feel really sick and weak all the time and probably be bedridden. He'll feel pain if he doesn't take the medicine and he'll die faster, but the dizziness due to drugs will not affect him and hinder him from doing what he wants.

Tyson thought that he would feel so much better after he told the world about the cancer but new problems, fears and worries are always submerging. There's always pressure and a time limit around everything and this make Tyson very stressed, depressed and frustrated. He can't do anything the normal way any more! And new problems will surely come up now when his father has returned.

Tyson looks at his phone but there's still no answer from Kai. Tyson's theory that the Russian's phone was discharged is now proved to be wrong. Kai has always charged it when the battery was low years of sharing rooms has taught Tyson that. _Maybe it's true, that he's avoiding me. _Tyson's heart starts to ache painfully. He can't deny that he also thought that it would be better to quit seeing him before things got too serious but it feels terrible now. Their imitate moments are something that he sees each time he closes his eyes, the heat is playing in repeat and he finds himself longing for him strongly. _I can't take this…fucking Kai, we could have discussed this!_

Tyson breathes out with a shaky breath and runs his fingers through his hair. Everything is slowly getting to him and stress together with heartache is something he doesn't like too much. _I need to talk to him. I don't care if he hates me or are disgusted with me…I just need to hear his voice. _Tyson types Kai´s name and his number appears on the screen, he decides to call him instead of sending him a message. His heart beat races as he listens to the signals that are another proof that his phone isn't discharged; it's on. _C´mon pick it up! _But his heartbeat slows down with each passing signal and the warm, exiting feeling turns into a cold one.

"_The person you're calling can't answer right now, please try again later."_

His emotions runs through him like a cold shower as the woman's voice reaches his ears. He puts the phone in his pocket and leans back while he sighs once again. _I guess I've to stop calling him. _

"That bastard…I hate him."

Tyson hides his head in his hands as he tries to swallow the pain and need to cry. Tyson hates his emotional side and the fact that he gets weaker and weaker both physically and mentally. _Men don't cry dammit! _He tells himself.

"…Maybe I should call Max, so he doesn't worry…"

* * *

**Something **that bothers Tyson is Dragoon. He feels so bad since he hasn't trained for a very long time. He sits in the grass near the river while Rei, Kenny and Max are beyblading below him. Hilary is acting a judge and her high voice disturbs the calmness somewhat. Everything seems to slow down when a familiar silhouette appears on the bridge above them.

"Kai!"

The said captain snorts before he jumps down and lands gracefully on the ground next to Hilary. His toned hair frames his face nicely as he straightens up his body once again and walks to join the beyblade match.

"So you decided to show up?" Max asks him.

"Why this spectacle about me? Get back to practice." Kai tells them in an irritated voice. "Dranzer need training."

Tyson looks at Kai and is about to greet him, or say something, when he passes by but the Russian doesn't spare him a glance. The small amount of hope slowly fades in Tyson's chest and he bites his lip painfully as he looks elsewhere.

"Tyson…?" Rei murmurs, the neko-jin looks at Kai and Tyson with confused eyes.

"Everybody lets do a small competition, our match against the All Stars are coming up." Kai interrupts Rei´s thoughts

It doesn't take long until the beybladers are at it, fighting each other intensively but Tyson is still confused by the lack of motivation. It seems like his friends can't find their inner strength or that they're thinking of something else. It was a long time ago that he last saw his team in this kind of shape and it scares him. _If their training continues like this I…._Tyson feels how his troubles are only getting worse, will he ever be able to rest in peace?

"What's wrong with you guys?" Tyson questions. "Your skills are really…"

No one answers him but Max, Kenny, Rei and Hilary slows down a bit and looks away, some at the ground others at the sky. They're all frowning and looks kind of frustrated with themselves.

"Kai what's going on!?" Tyson shouts at him. "Everyone's beyblading skills are… hey, are you ignoring me?"

"Kai I'm talking to you!" Tyson complains at Kai´s lack of attention. "How can you let this happen to my team?"

"_Your_ team? Sorry Tyson but I've not seen you around the dish for a long time now. You're not the champion anymore." Kai howls back angrily, accidentally blaming him for the other's lack of motivation. _Don't you see that we're blading like this due to your sickness???_

"What?" Tyson gasps and is quick to try to explain himself. " I didn't mean it like…"

"Hn." Kai interrupts with a snort and is about to turn away.

"Kai!" Tyson complains.

"Shut the hell up, Tyson!" Kai growls at him.

Tyson reels back by shock at Kai´s sudden outburst. Kai continues to walk away. Tyson looks at the Russian´s back with a pained expression on his face but decides to not run after him. He can't understand what's happening. Kai seems to hate him, the others are all out of shape and his father suddenly decided to show up; everything is happening at the same time. He can't force him to like him, right?

"T-man, did you have an argument with Kai earlier?" Max asks Tyson in a worried tone.

"…Not really." Tyson murmurs as he tries to keeps his emotions to himself.

"I´ll go and talk to him." Rei tells them at last and runs after Kai without any further explanation.

* * *

**Rei´s **hair floats behind his back nicely as he hurries to catch up to his upset captain, but his facial expression is not nice at all. He's angry. Rei grabs Kai´s sleeve as he reaches him and forces the man to stop walking for once.

"Kai." Rei utters his name angrily. "What are you trying to pull?"

"What are you talking about?" Kai tries to act ignorant. He pulls his arm free from Rei´s hold quite violently though. "Tyson needed to…"

Rei looks at him for a long time and Kai frowns as he sees how the neko-jin´s fangs reflect the sun as its beams hit them. The fact his him; Rei can see though his lies and Kai´s words are lost.

"I know that you're not dumb so stop playing games! So you're just going to leave things like this, huh? Walk away?" Rei makes gestures with his hands to strengthen his opinion.

"It's best this way…" Kai explains. "Don't see? Our team is falling apart …"

"So you mean that we would be able to win if we distance ourselves from Tyson? You're nuts!" Rei interrupts him quite rudely, but it's necessary.

An intense pain invades Kai´s sense of touch suddenly and he reels back as Rei punches his cheek, hard. Red eyes narrow at this and the Russian touches his throbbing cheek while staring at Rei. The neko-jin is glaring at him like never before and is standing in a fighting pose with his arms close to his head. A deep sigh leaves the Chinese man's lips and he lowers his guard.

"What are you…?" Kai questions the man.

"No, Kai you're _scared _and too proud to admit it. You're just running away because you're afraid to get hurt!" Rei snaps at him. "I didn't think you could be this selfish. It's actually Tyson who's hurting the most here."

Kai can't bear to look Rei in the face anymore so he looks away with something close to shame on his face. His shame is turns to anger quickly and he looks up at his team mate with fiery eyes.

"What do you know?!" Is Kai´s final attempt to make himself look not too pathetic.

"What I know is…. That you love him!" Rei tells him bluntly.

"…" It takes Kai by surprise.

Kai opens his mouth but closes it again quickly; he finds no words. His red eyes are wide with mixed emotions in their depths but even though Rei can't read him like an open book, he's aware of that he succeeded in breaking Kai´s facade.

"Do something about it." Is Rei´s final words.

The neko-jin gives Kai a stare before he turns around to rejoin the others near the river. Kai stares at the Chinese man's back absentmindedly while touching his now slightly swollen cheek. Kai closes his eyes and exhales deeply to ease his stress and raging emotions. He makes a fist. _Rei is right, I'm a coward…

* * *

_**The **noise that's created when you break apart the onetime chopsticks breaks the very tense silence around the kitchen table. The Granger family is sitting together like they did a long time ago but the nice and cosy atmosphere Tyson recalls from his childhood is not there. Hiro is eating in a deadly silence and is completely ignoring his father's presence at the table that of course makes the man even more uncomfortable. Gramps tries to make the situation better by telling some jokes who nobody understands while Tyson sits and stares at his bowl of rise without touching the food.

"Shouldn't you eat?" His father asks him.

"I'm not so hungry." Tyson answers.

He has been feeling dizzy and ill for the largest part of the day and would probably risk throwing up if he eats something. His constantly throbbing back doesn't make thing better either. It's starting to become a burden just to be awake and Tyson wonders how long it'll take until he doesn't wake up. He takes a sip of his glass of water and swallows the cold liquid slowly.

"Eat something, you're looking very thin and…"

"Can't we talk about something else?" Hiro interrupts the man when he notices what he wanted to ask.

"Calm down, Hiro." Gramps warns his grandson.

Tyson looks at his food before he pushes away the bowl in a sign that he's finished.

"Gochisosama deshita." _Thank you for the food. _

Tyson pushes himself from the floor and stumbles a little before he finds his balance and is able to move. He uses his hand to get extra support as he walks so he won't fall accidentally. He makes his way to his room and lies down on the bed with a sigh.

"Can't you just try to act as a family?" Tyson sighs deeply once again as he murmurs his wish.

Tyson turns to look at the old photo of his mother that is standing on his desk. The soft smile on her lips is something that he misses to see in reality and he closes his eyes. _It's time to take my medicine…_He sighs. _Mother…I´ll soon join you in heaven. _But is he ready to leave this place yet? No, there's still a lot that has to be done. _Kai…

* * *

_**Tyson **wakes up slowly and a low groan leaves his lips as he does. His head and back are aching like never before and the intense feeling makes him want to return to his dream world once again. He touches his forehead as he reaches out to grab the bottle of pills on his desk and swallows two of them with a sip of water. It tastes just like plastic.

The sun is shining through his window and the light forces him to squint. It seems like today is going to be a nice day. But the fact doesn't really cheer Tyson up. He feels so depressed and lost right now so some warm and nice weather isn't enough to make him feel happy again. The quarrel with Kai yesterday is in his mind and he feels really confused. Something must be bothering him because Kai seldom acts like that. His heart starts to ache. Tyson wants to comfort Kai like he has comforted him but the stoic Russian doesn't seem to want him to get too close too him. It hurts even more.

He hides his face in his fluffy pillow. _I can't go on like this. It feels like I'm suffocating myself. _Tyson forces himself to move even though his throbbing body tells him not to and he gets out of the bed to prepare himself for the day. _I need to tell Kai how I feel before it kills me. I want him to kiss me again. I want him to hold me close and take away __**this**__ pain. _Tyson puts on his shirt slowly and notices how thin he looks in the mirror. _I need to settle this before I fade away so I…don't get any regrets. _

Tyson is greeted by the smell of fried eggs as he exits his room and he feels even sicker than before. Food isn't something he wants anymore. He enters the kitchen and finds his grandpa and brother there but his father is nowhere to be seen. Tyson's eyes widen at his absence.

"Where is dad?"

"Who knows? He was gone when I got up." Hiro replies indifferently.

_He went away again? _Tyson can't help but fear that his father broke the promise and ran way to Australia again. Shaking his head he sits down and forces down two eggs and a glass of milk.

"Are you gonna meet the dudes?" His grand father asks him.

"I dunno. I need to talk with Kai so I´ll be away for a couple of hours."

"Take your cell phone with you, call us if something happens."

"Yeah yeah."

Tyson tries to enjoy the sun's warmth as he walks down the street towards Kai´s apartment but his nervousness and pain won't let him. He swallows his fear as he enters the apartment building. He finds Kai´s door and knocks loudly. His heart starts to beat faster in his chest by each passing second but it fades when he gets no reply.

"Kai? Are you there?" Tyson calls out.

Tyson can hear Kio on the other side of the door. The little cat seems to recognise his voice and the animal scratches at the door. Another sound from the inside makes the champion tense since it can't be an animal.

"Kai, it's Tyson. We need to talk."

It takes some time but the Russian opens the door slowly, almost hesitantly, and greets Tyson in a way that angers the Japanese man.

"…What do you want?" He asks indifferently while not daring to look at Tyson.

Tyson stares at the enigma for a long moment and a cold feeling invade his whole being as he notices the troubled expression on Kai´s face. It both angers him and makes him sad. Tyson can't take Kai´s coldness any more and he knows that he's about to explode.

"Kai your fucking bastard, don't you understand!?" Tyson screams his lungs out. "I LOVE YOU!"

Red eyes widen as Tyson dashes forward and pushes him past the doorway. Kai almost loses his balance as Tyson pushes him backwards harshly, but his back collides with a wall and keeps and him on his feet. Tyson keeps Kai still by grabbing the other man's wrists firmly. Kai loses his breath as Tyson´s body crashes into his and he gets no time to inhale fresh air since Tyson covers his mouth with a pair of hungry lips. Kai emits a surprised sound and his crimson eyes get as small as the head of a needle at the sudden show of affection. It has always been Kai who forced Tyson into a kiss before, but their roles are now reversed. This fact makes Kai unconsciously thrilled.

Tyson tilts his head to the side and deepens the kiss quickly, which makes Kai stiffen at first but the comfortable warmth radiating from Tyson makes him relax and give in to the pure feeling. Their tongues battle in a fierce battle for dominance that Kai loses due to his lack of oxygen. Kai turns away, breaking the kiss to breathe in and out deeply. He is so hot and confused at the moment and Tyson's closeness drives him crazy. A low groan leaves his throat as the Japanese man grinds their hips together in an attempt to feel more of the other. Tyson let go of Kai´s wrists and puts his hands on Kai´s hips when he's sure that Kai won't run away from him. He crushes their bodies together in an attempt to get even closer to the enigma and gives him butterfly kisses on the neck. Kai runs his hands up Tyson's arms sensually and is slowly returning his affections when Tyson suddenly stops.

"You can't abandon me now, not when I'm in this deep." Tyson tells him in a pleading voice.

Tyson holds Kai close while burying his head against Kai´s shoulder.

"Tyson I…." Kai murmurs, not really sure what to say.

"I had completed number 6 a long time ago without really noticing it. I've been in love with you for a while now."

Kai´s red eyes gets larger at the confession. Tyson was able to do something he could not once again; being true to his emotions.

* * *

**AN; thank you for reading!! Sure I´ve made Tyson´s father (what's his name??) seem very mean but I think there are a lot of parents who are like that in the real world and when something terrible happens everything changes. **

**Some random questions answer if you've time or want to give your opinion**

**Do you think Tyson should take the drugs or not?**

**Do you want this story to go into the label "mature" later on? (how much details do you want in the future yaoi/lemon scenes?)**

**How do you think the rest of Bladebreakers will react when they find out about Kai and Tyson?**

**What do you think will happen to the Bladebreakers as Tyson gets sicker?**

**Don't worry, I've a plan it's just that I want to know what you think and how you think about these subjects. It's soon summer vacation!!! The english translation for the poem is; **

"_**Pale broken wings,**_

_**you're just a little tired**_

_**from the sky which is too blue**_

_**Don't do it for anyone else**_

_**Just smile for yourself."**_

**I personnally think that Japanese can´t be fairly translated into english but it´s something like that. It´s the song "Alonez" By Aqua Timez and you might have heard it from the anime Bleach. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please R&R!**

* * *


	13. Number 7 and 6 part 2

**AN; Hey everybody! Once again; I`M SORRY for the late update! Thank you for all the reviews and opinions, they helped me a lot. I've now officially changed the rating to M and I'm hoping you'll enjoy further yaoi scenes between the two. Now enjoy!**

**You may have thought I didn't see,  
Or that I hadn't heard,  
Life lessons that you taught to me,  
But I got every word.**

* * *

**Kai´s **eyes soften suddenly and he lowers his face closer to Tyson´s, finally giving in to his emotions. It's now Tyson´s turn to gasp in surprise. He thought that Kai would be disgusted with him and push him away he never expected this to happen. His eyelashes flutter close as he slowly returns the kiss with equal passion.

Tyson gasp as a cold hand travels under his shirt and starts to roam over his chest. His chest starts shaking by the mere feeling of being touched by the one you love. It's like a fire that burns his flesh without hurting him, the flames are caressing him.

"Aaah!" Tyson groans into Kai´s mouth.

"Hmpf." Kai sighs in a contented manner before he forces his tongue into the other man's mouth.

Tyson who earlier confessed his feelings for Kai and kissed him is now being totally dominated by that said person. The enigma's warm tongue marks Tyson's as his own and devours the interior of his warm cavern. Tyson wants to continue but the lack of air makes his knees lose their ability to keep him upright. He falls against Kai´s chest.

"…I c-c-can't breathe…" Tyson pushes Kai´s face away as he starts to cough and gasp for air.

Kai snaps out of his passionate trance and supports Tyson´s whole weight as he struggles to regain his powers. The Russian exhales and inhales heavily and his warm breath tickles the man in his arms somewhat.

It doesn't take long for Kai to realise that Tyson is shaking slightly. His body vibrates without control and the small motion makes the older male frown in concern. His whole back twitches as he coughs violently and it's not juste one cough, it's several. All he can do is keep the man close to him and wait until the storm has passed.

"Are you alright?" He whispers after awhile.

"Yeah it's just… t-the stress and all." He explains.

Tyson doesn't need to spell that out for Kai. Both of them has been feeling like shit these last days due to their emotions and actions to prevent _this_ to happen. The high amount of heavy medicine that Tyson takes each day doesn't make it easier either.

"I think I need to sit down, I'm about to throw up."

Tyson pushes Kai away from him and starts limping towards a bench not too far away. He leans towards the wall and uses it as support. He sits down and sighs, he starts to breathe deeply to ease the unpleasant feeling in his stomach. Kai regards him as he leans against a tree next to the bench. Tyson leans forward with his head between his knees and supports himself with his arms that both are shaking. Kai´s stare lingers at his hands.

"So when did you realise that you were gay?" Kai asks him with indifference but his voice is not as cold as Tyson is used to.

"W-who said…I'm gay?" He pants.

Kai´s eyes widen. _Was this a…joke? Did he lie to me? _Kai can't help but feel terrible; like as if the trust he offered Tyson was misused and thrown back at him in the worst way possible. He turns to stare at Tyson again with his pain hidden by that cold facade he thought he didn't need around the Japanese man. The warm chocolate brown eyes look at him in such a way that takes his breath away. A small chuckle leaves the lips he kissed just some moments ago. _Is he mocking me…? _Kai can't help but feel suspicious.

"Kai, It's just that the first person I fell in love with was of the same gender, that's all. It's not like I like guys…I like _you_."

Kai´s eyes widen. _How can he be that open about it?_ A small, almost unnoticeable, blush lingers on his pale cheeks and he doesn't know how to handle this warm emotion.

"Embarrassed?" Tyson mocks him in a different way than Kai thought he did.

"Hell no!" Kai snaps back.

"Hahah…" Tyson laughs softly. "Kai trust me."

Kai´s eyes widen when Tyson suddenly places a small kiss on his lips before he starts to limp away from him. He stops after some steps and starts talking with his back turned to Kai.

"I just didn't want to express my feelings since I won't be able to do anything for you…I thought it would be better if I swallowed this desire and acted as the normal Tyson you know. I´ll die soon you know? I didn't want to hurt you by forcing my feelings on you but in the end…I did just that..." Tyson sweat drops. "I had nothing to lose so I gave it a shot!"

"I'm sorry." Tyson suddenlt apologises.

"…It's ok." Kai answers after a while of silence, his expression looks troubled. "I´ll keep my promise and stay by your side until the end."

* * *

**The **nice scent of newly cooked vegetables lingers in the air as Tyson reaches his home again. His stomach makes a loud sound that makes a frown appear on the man's face. He's in no mood for food at he moment since he wants to avoid puking. He enters the garden of the dojo and the scent around him gets stronger. His brown eyes narrow as he recognises the smell as the one from one of his dad's stews. Tyson hurries to take of his shoes and enter the kitchen.

"Dad!"

"Oh welcome home my son!"

The man turns around and smiles. He has a frying pan in his left hand, a couple of eggs in his other one and is wearing an apron. A white apron where it stands _kiss the chef_ on with pink letters that's too bright to avoid. Tyson nods in a surprised manner as he walks over to the table and sits down.

"What are you making?" He just has to ask.

"My famous veggie stew! Heheh!"

Tyson nods once again and an unpleasant silence spread between the son and his father.

"Why did you disappear so suddenly?" Tyson dares to ask.

"Oh Tyson you're back." Hiro utters as he joins him at the table. The older Granger is unaware of that he just interrupted a serious moment. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like shit."

The two sons flinch as a crashing sound interrupts the calmness. They turn around to stare at their dad who is staring back at them with a lost expression. Hiro is the first to notice the eggs on the floor.

"Dad!!" Hiro complains loudly.

The staring contest between Tyson and his dad ends there and the older man looks around and is quick to apologise when he sees the mess on the floor.

"My bad!"

The man shakes his head before he turns his back at them and continues with the cooking while humming an innocent melody. Tyson blinks twice before he utters a small _Haaa? _And Hiro just sighs and shakes his head in irritation.

"Please don't burn that stew, ok?" Hiro mutters.

* * *

**Tyson **turns in his bed. He can't find any comfortable position and sleep won't conquer him. His body is aching for sleep but his mind is wide awake and full of thoughts. He can't stop thinking about Kai and how his eyes shone with surprise when he confessed…and how that surprise turned into passion as he kissed him. He has to stop himself from thinking too much about it since his lower region starts to feel funny. A childish blush grows on his cheeks as he sighs.

"Oh maaaaaan…." Tyson turns over in the bed once again. "I can't blame the hormones anymore…"

Tyson closes his eyes as he tries to sleep. He tries to count sheep but their faces turns to the one of Kai after a while and he groans by annoyance. Trust him, Kai´s head on a sheep's body is not a pretty sight! He sighs and tries once more and is able to find a cosy position, his breathing gets more collected and he…

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

"Oh God who sends a text message at this time?" Tyson jumps out of bed.

He takes his cell phone and is about to throw it against the wall when his curiosity stops him. He lowers his hand and reads the message. _**"Contact me when you're thinking about completing the next task on the list, I´ll always answer when you call." Hiwatari Kai**_

Tyson's eyes widen. _Is this his way of saying that he cares? _Tyson smiles gently as he types back. _**"I told you to trust me, didn't I? Baka." **_Is his answer and he falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

Tyson lays still and looks at the ceiling while pondering about a lot. He makes a decision, the decision to take the drugs and to be able to stay on this earth with everyone, with Kai, a little longer.

* * *

"**Dad,** do you want to accompany me to the hospital?" Tyson asks.

"…Sure." The man answers after a while of thought.

Tyson can't help but feel happy about the answer and he sends the man a smile. He feels how Hiro glares at him but Tyson wants to give his father a chance to return to the family he once left. He wants to believe that the whole Granger family will gather when his time has come and become a real family once again. His mother would have wanted that.

"Should I call a Taxi?"

"No I can drive you dudes…" Gramps interrupts. "I need to go shopping anyways…"

"Arigatou."

The ride to the hospital was quite tense but the two men are able to relax when Gramps continues to drive.

"We're here." His father states.

Tyson nods as he leads the way into the building he can call his second home by now. Some of the nurses recognises his face and greets him with a bow as he returns. His father stays eerie quiet by his side.

"I need to speak to McKain."

"Wait a second!" The nurse tells him as she pushes some buttons on the phone.

It doesn´t take long before the man walks down the corridor to meet them. His white robe frames his body nicely as he comes to an halt next to Tyson.

"Long time no see." Tyson greets the man.

"Yes, and who might you be?"

"I'm his father."

The doctor stares at the man for a moment in silence before he nods absentmindedly and shows the way through the corridor. He opens a door to an empty office and the three men sits down. He offers them coffee but both declines.

"Are you prepared for this Tyson?"

"Yeah, I said so when I called right?"

"It's a good choice." He pushes button on his phone. "The nurses are preparing your room at the moment. A patient was checked out later than we hoped so we have to wait."

Tyson looks at the room with distant eyes. He'll be visiting this room three times a week from now on to get his medicine and he wants to get used to it as fast as possible. It's a white room with a large window with a nice view over the backyard of the hospital, a single chair stands in the corner and a small TV stands on a cupboard in front of the bed.

"Lay down please." A woman demands him. "And take of your shirt."

Tyson obeys her and sits down on the bed, takes of his shoes and lies down. The sheets smell newly washed but he can't enjoy the scent at all, it's too foreign. Tyson takes of his shirt slowly and gives it to the woman.

"It'll take about two to three days before your hair will fall of so I suggests that you visit a hairstylist soon, ok?" Doctor McKain tells him.

"What about a wig?" The nurse suggests as she puts away his shirt and shoes.

"I´ll skip that…"

Tyson winces when the doctor starts to place small, white stickers-looking things on his bare chest. The Japanese young man looks away as he starts to connect him with the machine that will measure his pulse and blood pressure.

"You can see your pulse on that screen over there." McKain tells him. "I´ll soon start to inject the drugs, it'll only hurt a little in the beginning. Don't panic if your heart starts to race. It's completely natural." He explains. "Nurse please prepare the needle."

"Roger!"

Tyson glances as his father who's sitting in the chair next to him as the nurse pieces his skin with the said needle. His hazelnut-coloured eyes widen as he sees the expression his father is wearing. It's a face mixed with different emotions like pain, sorrow, regret, doubt and more that Tyson can't put his finger on.

"I´ll connect the drugs to the needle now." The doctor warns him.

"..ok…" Tyson whispers.

"So done! It'll be finished in three hours so feel free to sleep."

Tyson looks at his dad and smiles weakly. "Dad will you be here when I wake up?"

The man returns the smile slowly but Tyson notice that there´s something deeper behind the gesture this time.

"Yeah, I promise."

Tyson promises himself that if his father is gone when he wakes up he'll give up with number 7 on his list since you can't force someone to care. His chest hurts. He's afraid to hold on to that small amount of hope he still has but decides in the last second to not let go of it.

"…Ok…." Tyson utters slowly as his eyes begin to shut.

And he's sound asleep.

"Did you give him something?"

"No…He fell asleep on his own. I can understand that though, being this sick isn't easy."

A large hand squeezes his shoulder gently and Tyson fights to open his eyes. He's so tired and his body is so heavy. The hand shakes him a little as if it wants him to wake up. Tyson wants to slap that irritating hand away so he can continue sleeping for an hour or two but the person doesn't stop shaking him. He opens his eyes.

"What the hell!" Tyson's eyes widen. "Dad, you stayed."

"I should have done this earlier my son."

* * *

"**Do **you really have to shave it off?" Hilary asks Tyson in a concerned tone.

Tyson sits down on the chair and the hairstylist starts the shaving machine. He takes the small black ribbon out of his hair and it falls down over his shoulders. His long, beautiful and shiny hair. The Japanese man smirks at the woman.

"Well it would be gross to wake up one day and a large hairball is stuck to my pillow, right?"

Hilary makes a grimace when she imagines herself waking up and all her hair is stuck to her pillow. She shakes her head to get rid of the picture. The buzzing sound from the shaving machine gets lower as the hairstylist starts to shave Tyson's head in a gentle and careful manner. Hair strands fall to the ground.

"How are you feeling?" Rei asks him.

"It's just hair, Rei."

"No, how are you? Is the medicine making you sick yet?"

"I'm just tired, so don't worry about me! This is about you guys!"

Tyson doesn't want his friends to suffer due to his illness and is quick to direct the attention to them instead. He's sincerely interested in what's going on in the world he can't take part in at the moment. Is there any good newcomers? Some crazy man who wants to take over the world? Or maybe a cool prize for the new champion?

"W-what?" Kenny stutters.

"Your battle against the All Stars will take place today, are you prepared?"

"Eh…We'll win, that's for sure!" Max tells him.

Tyson´s exited smile fades as he notices how Max hesitates; it's crystal clear that the American is trying to hide something from him.

"You know, I don't want your skills to suffer due to your concern about me. You should think about the game and _nothing_ else."

"But how do you think we can concentrate when we know that you can die any day?" Max asks him in a very depressed voice. "What if you die when we are fighting…"

"That's exactly what I want to happen."

"What?!" Hilary yells at him.

"I want you to win." Tyson stares at them with a burning fire in his eyes. "I want you to win this championship for your and my sake. Fight for our fans, supporters, our families and loved ones fight for our bit beast…for Dragoon."

"Dragoon?" Kai repeats.

"I want to give him that, he deserves it. But as you know I'm unable to battle…"

Tyson looks down at his hands that are resting in his lap. He flinches a but as the man who cut his hair takes away the apron-looking blanket from him.

"All done." He states.

"How do I look?" Tyson spins around in a silly way as he tries to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Like an old geezer." Rei understands this and helps him.

"Hah! You really do!" Max agrees.

"I think you look like a criminal. All you need now is the black and white uniform."

"I seriously fail to understand you guys." Hilary complains with a weak smile on her lips.

_This is me now._ Tyson looks at his reflection in the mirror. His brown eyes are calm and his face shows no signs of anger or sadness. _I´ll face my destiny without fear or regret._ His tanned skin gets lighter where he just shaved and he sees how some small hair still emerges from his skin there. _Everyone I love is by my side so there's no need to be afraid. _He looks himself in the eyes and sighs deeply. _I really want to believe that. _

_I really do. _

**Perhaps you thought I missed it all,  
And that we'd grow apart,  
But Dad, I picked up everything,  
It's written on my heart.**

* * *

**AN; did you like it? Reviews will make it easier for me to update you know? Hah... R&R**

**by the way, I think that Tyson would look good with a shaved head too, do you? Of course if he didn´t have to due to some illness...**


	14. Sleep

**AN; Sorry for the very loooong wait! I once again blame school, stress and lack of motivation. A lot have happened, some bad things, so I've not had the energy to write at all. All your beautiful reviews helped me though, thank you. I won't have much time to write since I'm going to do this writing project in school but I´ll do my best and keep on updating. **

**Can I mix it all together**

**Take more to get well faster?**

**Or is doing things like this**

**A recipe for disaster?

* * *

**

**Tyson **winces as the cold needle connects with the small purple vein underneath his pale skin. Brown, tired eyes regard how the see-through liquid travels down the plastic syringe for a while before he looks away. A pair of birds can be heard from the other side of the window and the beyblade champion focuses on their singing and tries to ignore the hands on him.

He has been taking the cancer drugs for a week now and the very strong medicine is starting to leave signs of tiredness in both body and mind. The change is scary but Tyson is more afraid of his friend's and family's reaction to the change than the change itself. Long eyelashes flutter as his eyelids becomes too heavy and he closes his eyes and falls into a deep, dreamless sleep. He can't lie though, because he _is _afraid of not waking up.

It doesn't take hours, it takes minutes, in his opinion, for him to be brought back to the world of the awake again. A soft groan leaves his rosy lips as the face of Dr McKain greets him with a gentle smile. That man has become an important friend to him and he's certain that if he got another doctor his time in the hospital would be a hell.

"There you go." The man helps Tyson into a sitting position.

Tyson is about to return the man's smile when a sudden bolt of pain hits him. A deep frown makes him look even sicker than he already is and his doctor pats him on his bald head. It still feels strange to have no hair but it also saves him from a lot of trouble, like, combing it in he mornings.

"I´ll give you some more painkillers, ok?" The man is quick to tell him. " And you have a visitor by the way."

McKain turns his back at Tyson as he writes down some notes. His eyes travel from the notebook in his hand to the shadow that's standing outside the room.

"I do?" Tyson's eyes widen but this time not out of pain. "I bet it's my crazy family again."

"Not really, do you want me to let him in?" McKain smirks.

"Eh…sure."

The doctor exits the room and says some words to Tyson's visitor in a low voice. The cancer patient can't help but lean to the side to get a better view out of curiosity. His heart beat starts to beat faster as he recognises the pair of shoes the visitor is wearing as he enters the room. Brown eyes travel up his captain's body until they meet a red, fierce gaze.

"Kai." Tyson utters his love's name out of surprise.

"Tyson." He replies more steadily.

A smile grows broader on the Japanese young man's lips, he never thought that Kai would show up like this since he knows about the stress the Bladebreakers are going through. He's happy. Happy in a very childish way that makes him feel like a dork and he kind of understands why the teenage girls acted as they did around him before. Love can turn the most dense person into a moron.

Kai regards the man sitting in the bed and feels many things at the same time. Tyson is covered by snow white sheets, a white thin robe in a room that isn't more colourful than his clothes. His slightly tanned skin that reminds Kai a warm summer day is still there even though Tyson doesn't spend a lot time outdoors anymore. Big brown eyes look at him with warmth and tenderness and it creates butterflies in his stomach. The lack of hair doesn't ruin the picture that the Russian regards as strangely beautiful, yes, he finds the bald Tyson beautiful.

Tyson, who seems to have gotten slightly uneasy by Kai staring at him, coughs twice with a nervous grin on his lips. Kai acts indifferent and walks over to stare out through the window with his back turned towards his team mate.

"Will you be able to watch our match later?" Kai asks him and avoids the question _how are you feeling?_ since it has been asked to many times before.

"I´ll be there." He answers confidently.

Kai looks at Tyson over his shoulder and can't help but smirk. _Some things never change…_ Rays of sunlight gives the white floor some colour and Tyson squints as the light hits him in the face. Brown eyes adjust to the sunlight and his vision becomes a little blurry which makes it impossible for him to see Kai, he shields his eyes with his hand and blinks out of surprise when he finds the captain sitting down on the bed next to him.

"The lack of hair will cause a commotion." Kai warns him with a sly smirk.

"Maybe I´ll start a new trend?" Tyson chuckles. "Tomorrow everybody will shave their head!"

The smile on his face fades quickly when his true emotions about it enter him. He's worried about it especially about all the attention he'll get now when everybody knows of the sickness and sees signs from it too. Journalist won't leave him alone, sad and angry fans are something he doesn't want to handle at the moment and his friends…what are on their minds?

Kai, who notices that Tyson grows absentminded, glances at him from behind his fringe. He didn't come here to ask if they would meet later at the stadium but he can't voice what's on his mind just yet. Everything is still so new to him. Pale lips open and close without a word emerging from them.

"Kai?" Tyson breaks the silence suddenly.

"…Hn?"

Tyson grabs Kai´s hand and the Russian flinches by the suddenness of the touch. His eyes dart from Tyson to their hands with an uncharacteristic facial expression that tells him of his surprise. Warm fingers encircle his right hand and the small show of affection creates a blush on both of their faces. Kai´s hand is larger than Tyson's and his skin is formed after years of intense beyblading. Tyson follows the lines with his thumb and caresses the other while glancing into the still confused red eyes.

"Thank you…for staying at my side." Tyson tells him in a low voice, almost like a whisper.

The crimson eyes lose their confusion and they start to look at Tyson's face with intensity. _He has been all alone for a long time, in this hospital…_Kai concludes. _Surrounded by many but still alone…_ A lone-wolf like Kai, who's not very experienced with emotions, feels a lot at the same time and he starts to return the caress by stroking Tyson's thumb with his own. He finds no words comforting words to tell nor actions to show that he care but he hopes that the other man understands.

"Heh, are you speechless Hiwatari?"

"As if---" Kai is about to snap back and save his pride but he shuts his mouth when he sees how Tyson looks at him. "Tyson?"

"Shhhh…."

Kai doesn't know if he leans back out of some sort of fear or by mere instincts as Tyson leans towards him. He doesn't pull back from what he knows is coming though. Their lips touch softly and the other's warm breath on Kai´s face sends shivers down his spine. It's only a small touch of lips but feels like so much more. They don't get the chance to deepen it since someone enters the room without a fare warning.

"Here's the pills…"The doctor walks in without knocking, he looks down but looks up when he's greeted by a tense silence. "Oh, did I disturb something?"

Dr McKain regards the two men with a raised eyebrow as he notices the distance between them, it's like he walked in while they were arguing or something. Tyson and his visitor avoid eye contact and the doctor realises that he really _did_ interrupt something. Kai is suddenly on his feet and walks past the doctor with eyes full of coldness and something else, which makes the man step to the side out of respect.

"Tyson, I´ll see you later." Kai tells him in the doorway before disappearing.

"Oh what an happy fellow." The doctor comments when he's sure that Kai can't hear him.

"Yeah, that's _my_ captain alright." Tyson tells him with a playful grin, the uneasiness if finally gone.

McKain turns his eyes to Tyson and frowns. Something is going on and he's well aware of that it's doing miracles for Tyson´s temper and chooses therefor not to ask for an explaination.

* * *

**Excitement **is in the air for everyone to feel, another day of the beyblade world championships has started. The arena is crowded with fans, beybladers, journalist and supporters from all over the world and it's easy to understand that this is a place where many dreams comes true and…sometimes, gets crushed.

A certain team, that everybody knows and adores, prepares themselves for their upcoming battle against the All Stars. The American/Japanese blonde teen sits on a wooden bench while he explains what he knows of his old team's weaknesses and strengths and Kenny takes notes.

"But it'll be a rough battle since my mum knows about our skills too." Max explains. "It'll be hard to beat them…"

"We have always known that All Stars is a team of skilful beybladers but we have more reason to win than them now." Rei explains, referring to Tyson's wish.

"We have to win." Max mutters. "We _will_ win today."

"That's the spirit." Kai smirks, happy that his team has snapped out of whatever was bothering them before.

The sadness they felt about Tyson before has somehow turned into strength and motivation to fight harder to reach their goal. It won't make their skills worse anymore, only better. Kai looks at the team and wonders how hard he can push them, how much this experience and knowledge has made them grow and he's aware of that all of them has reached adulthood already.

"I believe they'll send Rick, Michael and Eddy into battle." Kai starts. "The best match against Rick would be Max since you know him better than any of us."

Max nods and makes thumbs up. "No problem!"

"I want to fight Eddy, I have unfinished business with him." Rei tells them while thinking of a match he lost to the dark skinned basket player.

"Then it's settled." Kenny nods. "I´ll compare your data and see if I can come up with some strategies. "

"When will Tysona arrive Kai?" Rei asks him.

"Hilary will pick him up, so he'll be here in no time." Kai answers flatly.

A mental picture of Tyson and Hilary in the new superstar's red car pops into their minds, racing through the town like it's no tomorrow. No one knows where Hilary got her license but a trip that usually would take thirty minutes takes about ten. Kenny shivers by the thought.

"Yeah right." Rei sweat drops anime style.

"E-excuse u-u-u-us, but are you the…?" A nervous voice interrupts them.

Two girls stand there with small smiles on their lips. One of them jumps high when the team of idols greets them with nods.

"Bladebreakers!?" She shouts loudly. "Can you sign this…?"

The fan meeting makes them think of other things. They all sign their shirts, arms and postcards without complaining and it makes the two fangirls giggle with happiness.

"Oh Tyson is not here…" One of them signs, she expected that he would be absent.

"Yeah he…" Rei starts to explain.

"I'm really sad to hear about Tyson´s illness but tell him that we still support him!" The loud girl tells them with an honest smile.

"The Bladebreakers forever!" They shout as they walk away.

"Okaay?"

"I like those girls." Rei smirks.

* * *

**Tyson **feels how nervous Hilary is when she grabs his arm and leads him towards the arena. The two of them has tickets to a pair of VIP seats and are allowed to arrive late but doing that would only attract more attention. Tyson looks down a bit as they pass by some fans, his hat cover his face and bald head nicely. The woman helps him when he stumbles and opens the doors for him, which makes the walk much easier.

"The Bladebreakers really needs you to watch them Tyson. You're their source of strength at the moment." She tells him.

Tyson nods in silence and keeps his head down as they walk through the crowd towards their seats. Eyes are watching him, he's well aware of that, but he wants to stay out of the attention as long as possible. Today is his team's day, not his. They sit down on the first row to the right and Hilary makes sure Tyson is sitting down properly before she hands him a Coke.

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm ok, just tired." Tyson answers honestly. _That question again…_

He doesn't feel any pain at the moment but the tiredness is threatening to devour him all the time. It wouldn't be nice if he fell asleep during his friend's important battle, right? The cold liquid cools down his warm, slightly feverish body and he hopes that the sugar will give him some new energy.

"Well, tell me if anything happens ok?" She orders him like the mother-hen she is.

"Yes, sir."

Tyson regards the large red beyblade dish below him and he feels how his limbs reaches out to his beyblade that isn't in its usual pocket. A dark shadow covers his face as he realises this and Tyson snorts at his own stupidity. His Dragoon bey is lying at his desk in his room and has been out of use for several weeks, maybe even months? The red can in Tyson´s hand gives in under the pressure and he throws it into the nearest bin. His time as a beyblader is over. _I would do anything to…be able to stay conscious long enough to fight one battle…only one round…_ A feminine hand on his shoulder makes him returns to reality once again.

"Look, there they are!"

Tyson follows Hilary´s finger and sees how the show is starting. The Dj introduces the two fighting teams and sweet music is playing as they enter the arena. Rei walks out first, with his head held high, and is followed by a smiling Max. _That smile…Max is nervous…_Tyson starts to smile as he regards them. Kenny walks slowly while clutching his loyal laptop against his chest and Kai urges him on with a comment Tyson can't hear. _Kenny is even more nervous…but Kai looks so…cool, as usual. _His smile grows bigger unconsciously.

The Bladebreakers are about to greet the other team when Hilary starts waving her hand as much as possible. Tyson stares at her and wants to disappear somewhere but gets no chance to since Kai caught the gesture. The two teams turn to look at the woman but their eyes land on the person by her side. The burning spotlight forces him to squint and a very deep sigh leaves his lips. _Just great. _He swallows his fears and prepares himself to stand up, his knees buckle and he's caught by Hilary who helps with a smile and an eerie silence spreads in the building. Tyson takes of his hat slowly and faces his team with a smirk on his face.

"Woah!! Is that TYSON!?" Someone in the audience shouts.

"His…His hair!" Someone else screams.

Tyson ignores the commotion and looks at his team and a warm emotion grows inside of him as he sees how a new light burns in their eyes. All of them smile up at him and Max waves his arm like crazy. Hilary and Tyson waves back and the champion makes sure that his team mates know that he's cheering for them by using strange gestures and expressions.

"Tyson!" Emily utters out of surprise.

The American team's stares turns to insecure smiles. They can't believe how much Tyson have change since last time they saw him. He's skinner, paler, looks very tired and sick and that trademark ponytail is gone. It scares them but seeing his smile and gestures makes them unable to keep themselves from laughing.

"Great to see you old buddy!" Rick calls out.

The audience in uproar and upset screams interrupts the reunion somewhat. There are screams of sadness, confusion, anger and love mixed together with the warmth of their applauds. The fans that are still loyal to him screams in a choir, expressing how much they love him and how they'll always support him. Tyson, who thinks that he has stolen the bladers´ spotlight for far too long, sits down and drags Hilary with him.

"Oh what a good start of a good day!" The Dj says. "Let's prepare for battle!"

The crowd calms down at this and the tense atmosphere fades almost immediately. Their focus turns to the beyblade dish, which makes Tyson relax. He wipes away some sweat of his forehead before he puts on his hat again.

"The first round will be Max VS Rick…!"

* * *

**Tyson **sits in a sofa together with his team and fellow beybladers. It's a small get together someone arranged when they saw Tyson was there, Tyson would be happy if he wasn't so damn tired. Tears are created in his eyes as he yawns for the tenth time that night, he wipes them away.

"Great battle guys! It was a fair fight…" Eddy tells them with a weak smile, you can't call him a bad loser.

"You were awesome too!" Max exclaims with a big smile.

The smell of candy, soda and cakes is almost too sweet for some people and they all gather somewhere far away from Max. The sound of a movie that no one follow plays in the background is another noise that is drowned out by chatting and talking. The bladers are good at gossiping even though they don't seem like it.

"I never thought Kai would compete…" Michael complains. " I so would have won if I faced Kenny."

"Hey!"

"It was a joke, chief!"

Kenny sighs in defeat, he has started to become used to the friendly bullying. He shakes his head with a weak smile on his lips. The genius turns around when he hears how a girl, whom he silently adores, starts to speak with Hilary.

"I saw your last movie, Hilary. The guy acting as _Vincent _was so hot and you got to…"  
"Kiss him!" Hilary ends the sentence with a high pitched scream. "I got his phone number too!"

Kenny´s smile fades.

"Woah!" Emily smiles. "I'm so jealous Hilary…"

"What's great about that _Vincent? _He's a character and doesn't exist in real life!" Kenny complains, slightly jealous.

"You shouldn't complain since you're the one falling in love with a RPG character…" Hilary teases him.

"Why are everyone bullying me!?"

The two teams laugh at the youngest beyblader´s outburst. The only ones that are relaxing in silence instead of talking like crazy are our two main characters. Kai glances at Tyson with interest clear in his crimson eyes. The younger man keeps on falling in and out of sleep and the sight of it is really entertaining. The noise around them doesn't seem to bother him at all. The Russian sits close to his interest, so close so their shoulders are touching, and he feels how Tyson nods each time he disappears into a world of dreams. It doesn't take long before Tyson´s head bump into Kai´s shoulder and stays there. Warm breath tickles Kai´s neck and he glances down at the other man's sleeping face.

"Tyson…?" He whispers.

His red eyes turn soft as he gets a low snore as an answer. Kai fights the urge to put his arm around Tyson and pull him closer to him since their are still among people. _He looks so… _There's no word that describes Tyson that Kai can utter without sounding too uncharacteristic so he stops at just looking.

"Hey Tyson!" Steve tries to get the Japanese man's attention but fails. "Is he sleeping?"

"You better not wake him up. He said he was tired before…" Hilary tells him.

Kai groans mentally by the interruption, well what to expect when you hang out with The Bladebreakers and the All Stars?, and he decides to leave the party. Without saying anything, Kai puts his arm around Tyson´s shoulders and the other under his legs and pulls him against his chest.

"Woah!" Kenny jumps at the scene.

Kai blinks as he looks down at the sleeping face of Tyson. He weights close to nothing and a concerned frown grows more noticeable when he feels the man's skeleton through his skin at some places. Tyson has never been this frail before and Kai is afraid that too much power behind his hold on Tyson will break him.

"I´ll take him home." Kai mutters in a concerned low voice.

Kai nods in the All Star´s direction as a good bye before he walks towards the door. Rei is quick to walk over and open the door for him receiving a weak smile in return. A deeper understanding can be seen in the two's eyes as they look at each other.

"Are you going already?" Max whines.

"Woah Tyson looks like a princess…!" Hilary comments with sparkling eyes.

"Eh that's not a good thing for man, Hilary!" Kenny shouts.

"Hahahah…" Rei laughs knowingly while watching Kai take of with Tyson in his arms. He closes the door behind them.

"Is it that bad…?" Emily asks them quietly.

The Bladebreakers around to face the orange-haired girl. She looks at them with sad eyes but is waiting for an honest answer. Everyone turns serious at this and the pain some of them tries to deny resurfaces.

"Tyson doesn't share everything with us but it's bad, yes." Max explains. "He's gotten a lot worse really fast and…"

"He just started taking medicine to slow the process down." Rei continues.

"Oh Shit…it's too tragic to be true." Eddy murmurs. "I mean the legendary Tyson…"

"You shouldn't pity him." Rick tells them confidently. "Since he's a guy that won't accept that and the _legend_ as you called…will keep on living."

"Wow that was deep, Rick!" Michael praises him.

"Well even I know that things won't be the same without him."

* * *

**The **sound of someone running in the corridor wakes Tyson up. Long eyelashes flutter open slowly and a very deep groan of tiredness leaves his mouth in an uproar. The man's whole body twitches as a thought strikes him; _where am I? _

Chocolate brown eyes looks at his surroundings and his brain tries to connect what he sees to what he remembers. He is in his room but he is well aware that he must have fallen asleep somewhere else. This confuses him and his tired senses don't seem to function properly. Tyson frowns with irritation.

"Good morning sleeping beauty."

Tyson flinches by the sudden voice and he turns to stare into his older brother's amused eyes. The other Granger is sitting on the chair while regarding Tyson with a grin on his lips, his expression makes Tyson raise his eyebrow in confusion. He shakes it of and decides to focus on the unknown reason why he's at home.

"Hiro…" Tyson murmurs. "How did I get here? I'm sure that I was at the…"

Hiro´s smile fades somewhat at the question and he looks away, regarding something far away.

"Hiwatari brought you here." He murmurs behind gritted teeth.

"K-Kai did!?"

"Can't you please hide that happiness?" Hiro snorts.

"Eh, what's wrong?" Tyson asks him in a concerned voice.

"Nothing."

"I´m not stupid, I can see that it's something." Tyson whispers, not liking Hiro´s loud voice, it makes his ears hurt.

"That Kai is a suspicious character…"

Tyson is quick to understand the source of Hiro´s irritation and doesn't hesitate to raise his voice about the matter.

"Kai is my friend." He tells him the fact. _More than a friend…_

"Enough about that. You should rest, do you want something? Ice cream?" He changes the subject.

Tyson looks at his brother with an open mouth but he doesn't have the energy to bring it up. What Hiro think about Kai bothers him but he also knows that the stubborn mule won't change opinion if he tells him to.

"I want strawberry flavour." He tells him while wondering if he'll be able to eat it, he's in no mood for sweets.

Hiro exits the room and Tyson leans back into his bed again. He reaches out for his cellphone and starts to text a message to his saviour from yesterday. Simple words such as _Thank you _is the only thing he can write but knows that it'll be enough for Kai to understand. Thousands of butterflies seem to fly around in his stomach as he writes it and it takes some time for him to understand that it's happiness that he's feeling. _Kai is always there for me and makes me feel save even though it __**must **__hurt him…._ He sends the message just in time, Hiro enters the room with a bowl of ice cream.

"Thank you."

"Is there anything else you want?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Just tell me and I´ll fix it, okay?" Hiro tells him with a smile.

"Sure."

Tyson smiles softy to himself. He's still not comfortable with Hiro being so nice to him since all they did before he got sick was to argue. But now when he's getting worse Hiro´s attitude problem seems to fade, well towards him, and he acts like a real big brother should. It bothers him since it becomes too much, Hiro is too worried about him, too nice to him and it makes things very uncomfortable. Hiro has become overprotecting and it's suffocating him slowly.

* * *

**Gramps **is happy. Very happy because some teens showed up yesterday and asked to join his Kendo club. The old man sits in the middle of the dojo with closed eyes, meditating. But he can't sit still for too long and decided to let his family know that there's going to be a small party of celebration tonight. He hurries over to Tyson´s room.

"Tyson, guess what…?"

The old man enters the room after three knocks. He stops talking as he notices how his grandchild lies in his bed with closed eyes and an open mouth, pink melted ice cream is colouring the sheets. _Is he sleeping? _He ponders while approaching him.

"Tyson." He shakes his shoulder slightly in an attempt to wake him up.

A cold feeling enters his being when he gets no response this time either. The old man chooses not to panic and leans down to rest his ear near his grandchild's mouth and listen. He can hear how the young man slowly exhales and inhales air while his chest is rising and the cold feeling fades away, leaving a small amount of pain in his chest. _He's sleeping…like the dead. _A breath of relief emerges from his lips.

"Just how much is the lad sleepin´?" He asks himself.

It strikes him then that since Tyson's sleeping form was brought home has he done nothing more than eat a little ice cream, Gramps looks at the dirty sheets, and sleeping. _The medicine has to slow it down otherwise he'll sleep away the remaining time. _A sorrowful expression makes the man's wrinkles even more visible. A hand full of wrinkles and skin pale as snow touches slightly tanned skin. _One's child isn't supposed to die before oneself. Not this young…._ Tyson doesn't stir by the touch.

"How long will you suffer before you won't wake up…?"

* * *

**AN; the end of chapter. Nothing much happened in this chapter but it had some meaningful details about the progress of the cancer. And some meaningless Ty X Ka fluff that I hope you adored!**

**As I mentioned before, your reviews do really help me through writing blocks and hard times so please tell me what you think of this story so far. Bad things, good things, things you would like to happen… anything. **

**And I wonder about Daichi, should I put in in the story? What do you think?**


	15. Number 5

**AN; thank you guys for all the reviews it made me really happy. I always find it hard to start writing on this but when I do the words just … well you know. I guess I've to start writing it more often. I thought that I could at least update once during the winter vacation, so here is a little late Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from me to you.**

"_**You're still a part of everything I do, you're on my heart just like a tattoo."

* * *

**_

**Tyson** open his eyes slowly and groan when the strong sunlight hits his face. He turns around slowly and buries his head in the sheets. The young Japanese man can't remember how but he must have fallen asleep, _again_. His days are beginning to get shorter and shorter and it's getting harder to separate dreams from reality and he wonders when he's not going to wake up at all.

Remembering that Tyson is supposed to meat up with the guys in an hour he starts to get dressed. He flinches when he tries to run his hand trough his hair that isn't there anymore and chuckles sadly to himself. _I'm a bald man now…_Tyson decided to skip his hat since he is in no mood to hide his sickness anymore, and some people do actually like the bald style. _Kai hasn't complained so I guess it's alright. _A small blush colour Tyson´s pale face as he swallows his pills.

The gang is already sitting at a table eating ice-cream when Tyson arrives and the sweet scent of it makes him want to throw up. The food he once loved has started to make him feel sick these last days and Hiro keeps forcing food down his throat at home. The one who first notices him is Max.

"Ohayou, T-man!" Max greets him with a big smile, face full of ice-cream.

"Good morning guys."

Tyson greets them with a small smile before he sits down between Hilary and Kai. He shrugs when he feels how his butt hurts due to the hard and uncomfortable chair but he doesn't mention it.

"Do you want ice-cream?" Hilary asks him with a sweet smile.

"No… but thanks." Tyson tells her with a grimace.

Tyson joins the conversation and compliments his team mates about their latest battle against the All Star team. He's not really focused though because he keeps glancing at Kai who is as silent as always. The strong Russian, his boyfriend, looks kind of bored until his crimson eyes turn to Tyson. Something Tyson has noticed with Kai is that he can be like ice, cold and silent, but he gets embarrassed quite easily. It's fun to watch how the stoic and proud phoenix tries to hide a blush beneath his long fringe when Tyson _accidentally _brushes his hand over his. Kai glares at him after a while of fighting his blush and Tyson smiles teasingly before he re-joins the conversation. Sometimes Kai is the only thing that keeps Tyson feel like he's alive and he wants him to understand that.

"I want to do something crazy this weekend, are you guys free?" Tyson changes subject.

"Something crazy?" Max repeats as he takes a break from eating. "Sure!"

Rei looks a little more suspicious than the always-happy blonde and looks at Tyson with a pair of intense cat-like eyes.

"What are you planning to do?" Rei asks him.

"I'm getting myself a tattoo." Tyson tells them flatly with a smirk on his lips.

"…A tattoo?" Hilary repeats with a shocked expression. "Why, all of a sudden?"

Hilary, who's all glamour now, seems to be a little against Tyson's plans since she is a person who thinks that all people with tattoos are criminals or something like that. Tyson ignores her displeasure and starts to explain.

"I always wanted to be a little more bad ass and now that I don't have much time left, I see no point in hesitating."

"I see." Hilary nods in a sad manner.

The happy atmosphere at the table fades away slowly since almost all of them haven't grasped the fact that Tyson will die. They don't want to accept it even though they all see how the stages of the cancer makes the former beyblader gradually worse by each passing day. Hilary and Kenny looks miserable when they get lost in their thoughts, Max looks like a sad puppy who lost its owner, Rei looks somewhat disturbed but shakes it of quickly while Kai stays silent and keeps his emotionless mask up.

"What kind of tattoo do you want?" Rei breaks the ice.

"…Not a skull right?" Kenny asks him.

"Haha no." Tyson is finally able to laugh. "I want a tattoo of Dragoon, right here, at my torso."

Tyson pulls down his shirt a little to point out the location of the tattoo what he doesn't know is that he shows his team how thin he has become. A pair of red eyes lingers on him with a hint of concern hidden behind the indifference as Kai regards him. The enigma recalls how small he felt when he brought him back home from the small party the other day and a really bad feeling invades his whole being.

"That's a pretty good idea!" Max cheers. "It would be cool to have a tattoo of Draciel but mom would freak out if she saw that…"

"Eh Max, you're pretty much a grown up now so Judy can't tell you what to do." Tyson sweat-drops-animestyle at his friends oblivious mother complex. "But why don't we all do it since we have the sacred bit beast and all?" Tyson suggests with a wink but he's clearly joking.

"Haha you want us all to turn _bad ass _now?" Rei smiles big so his fangs are showing. "That's not happening."

"I was joking!" Tyson smiles before he changes subject. "So, what team are you up against next time?"

"We're up against Robert." Kenny informs him. "The Majestics are psyched since they haven't competed for so long, you remember what happened in the last tournament?"

"Yeah Boris and Barthez…"Tyson murmurs bitterly. "There are no crazy scientists coaching the teams this year right?"

"I´ll keep my eyes open." Kai says in a serious voice.

"Yeah we don't want that happening again." Hilary sighs deeply. "But let's talk about happy things ok? Do you guys want to do something?"

"What about a movie?" Max suggests.

* * *

**A **yawn leaves Tyson's lips as he and the others exit the cinema. The movie was kind of cool but he couldn't keep his eyes open during the climax and can't judge if it was good or not. If he trusts Max and Kenny the movie was awesome and the heroine was super hot, if he trust Hilary then the actress was useless and lame. Tyson yawns again and wipes away the tears of tiredness that linger around his eyes.

"That was _sooo_ good!" Kenny smiles in his fanboy way.

But no one can hear him since the other guests at the cinema seems to have noticed that famous beybladers saw the movie too. _We should have hired bodyguards…_Tyson sighs as he notices how several fans stare at his bald head. If her was his old self Tyson would have laughed and asked them if they would want to touch it but he doesn't have that energy now. He can't laugh or brag about his sickness and he isn't a champion anymore.

"Let´s go." Kai tells him.

The Russian seems to be bothered by the fans as well and leads the team trough the crowd of people. Tyson tries to keep up but the tiredness seems to make him limp more than usual and he loses his balance. Rei grabs him by the arm and prevents the fall.

"Be careful Tyson. Are you alright?"

When Kai hears Tyson´s name he looks over his shoulder to find his love leaning on Rei with a very tired expression on his face. Rei meets his gaze and nods before the two bladers starts to move again.

"I'm… exhausted." Is Tyson's tired reply.

"My apartment is close by, you can rest there." Kai says all of a sudden.

"…" Tyson looks up at Kai with a surprised expression.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." Rei agrees with a discreet smile towards Kai. "You don't have to walk all way home that way."

"Ok." Tyson can't find a reason to object.

Rei and Kai helps Tyson with his walking until the fans are out of sight.

"We´ll take this way." Rei turns the rest of the team around." See you guys later."

Rei seems to want Tyson and Kai to get some time alone and forces Kenny, Hilary and Max to take the longer route home. The two complains at first but are too focused on their conversation so they follow Rei without much arguing.

"Bye." Tyson waves at them.

The walk to Kai´s apartment was very tough for Tyson but he's able to relax when they enter it. Tyson is quick to sit down in the couch to rest and the little cat, Kio, jumps up and sits down in his lap. The cat starts to purr when Tyson strokes it back absentmindedly. He follow Kai with his eyes and sees how the man picks up his cell phone.

"It's Kai."

Tyson can't help but listen to the conversation and hears how a rather irritated voice answers in the other end of the line. The voice is kind of familiar.

"I just wanted to say that Tyson is staying at my place tonight." Kai stays calm.

_So he talks to…? _The fact that Kai calls his home to explain the situation like that makes his chest get a little warmer.

"Yes." Kai hangs up without goodbye. "Your brother is seriously getting on my nerves."

Kai smirks as he sits down at Tyson´s side and starts to caress his cat. They sit in silence but they're not bothered by it at all. The closeness makes Tyson blush a little but the warmth is also making him more comfortable, which results in him yawning again. Tyson sighs deeply as he feels how he's starting to get very sleepy.

"Kai, I'm sorry but I'm gonna…"

Kai puts his arm around Tyson´s shoulder and pulls him into his chest without a word. Kio jumps down right in time so he won't get squeezed between the two men's bodies. The cat growls angrily at them before he leaves them alone. Tyson is surprised over Kai´s sudden act but can't say he dislikes it.

"Then sleep." Kai murmurs close to his ear.

"But…"

Tyson looks up at Kai but gets no chance to complain since Kai silences him with his mouth. The two young men share a slow, gentle kiss before Kai pulls Tyson deeper into his embrace.

"Now sleep." Kai orders him.

Tyson nods into Kai´s shirt and closes his eyes. The feeling of being held by the one you love like this can't be compared to anything else than pure bliss and happiness. A deep sigh leaves his lips and he takes in Kai´s scent as he inhales fresh oxygen. The sound of Kai´s beating heart is like a lullaby urging him towards sleep but he's still able to notice that the heart beat is a little out of it. It makes him happy since it only shows that he can influence Kai in a way. Darkness devours him as he enters the world of dreams.

* * *

**At **the time when Tyson finally wakes up from his slumber Kai has already prepared breakfast for them both. The scent of bacon and eggs lingers in the air and Tyson groans as he stomach makes him feel ill due to the smell of food. He sure is hungry but doesn't want it. Kai sits down and hands him a plate before he digs in.

"Eat."

Tyson looks at the food and is kind of surprised by the fact that it isn't burnt, but a person who lives alone like Kai must have some cooking skills, he guesses. Tyson, who's used to a Japanese breakfast, feels how his stomach yearns after the American styled food. Kai regards Tyson in silence before he decides to urge him on.

"Do you want me to force it down your throat?"

"No sir! I´ll eat, sir!" Tyson salutes.

Tyson chews on the bacon slowly and Kai can see how much it really is bothering him. He wonders how the man who would eat until he fainted could lose his appetite so badly. _It must be the cancer. _Kai ponders bitterly.

"Is my cooking that bad?"

"Eh no!"

"Then what?"

"I just feel ill when eating that's all. I've lost my appetite… I guess it's the drugs."

"Hn." A deep silence spread between them. "Eat some anyway, you're starting to look skinny."

"…Yeah."

Tyson is able to swallow some of the food Kai offered him and when Kai is content he started to do the dishes. This warm feeling in his chest doesn't leave him alone and the fact that Kai actually cares the extent where he would force food down his throat makes the Japanese man happy. He knows that all of his friends care but seeing his cold captain express feelings so freely around him is amusing and something he's very happy about. The happiness doesn't last though since he remembers that he'll die, very soon. _Why is it that you realise important things when you're about to lose them? _

"Why didn't I realise my feelings for you earlier?"

Kai flinches by the sudden question and turns to see that Tyson stare into the distance whit a sad expression on his face.

"If I did maybe we could have… been like this…longer."

"Don't think like that. Who knows if we would have fallen in love if you didn't get sick." Kai tells him truthfully. "But we did…and that's all that matters now."

Tyson has never heard Kai talk that freely about their relationship or his own emotions so he stands there in silence only looking at him for a long while. _Oh fuck, why am I acting like the heroine of a shoujo manga?_ Tyson chuckles in embarrassment as he turns away from Kai. _So pathetic…_The warm water feels nice against his skin as he continues with the dishes. He almost drops a plate when Kai wraps his arms around his shoulders from behind and presses their bodies together.

"So getting a tattoo is number five on that list, right?"

Kai whispers his question so close to Tyson and the mere sensation of his lips slightly touching his ear sends shivers down his spine. He never knew Kai was this big and muscular but it feels like his body can encircle him easily, or is it that Kai´s right? That he has become skinny recently?

"Y-yeah." Tyson stutters.

"Where are you going to get it? Here…?"

Brown eyes widen as a cold hand moves up to caress his bare stomach under his shirt. The sudden touch makes Tyson gasp but he can't complain, it feels great. Kai leans onto him in a way so Tyson has to grab the kitchen sink to keep them both upright. The cold fingers creates a burning sensation in his crotch and to hide his pleasure Tyson bites his lower lip and squeezes the sink until his knuckles turn white.

"...Or maybe here?"

Kai´s hands moves up to massage his chest sensually and the groan of pleasure Tyson was holding in emerges from his lips when those still cold fingers pinches his nipples. As if Tyson´s gasp of passion surprised Kai his hands stops moving momentarily before he continues with more passion than before.

"You said you wanted to have realised… "Kai pants. "…This feeling earlier right? So we would have gotten more time to do _H-stuff_ like… this?"

"No, you…bastard." Tyson is able to answer but he can't hide his pleasure anymore.

Kai smirks since he knows that he has Tyson under his spell and starts to kiss the other man's neck sensually. The deep blush on Tyson´s face grows until his whole face, and neck, is red as a tomato and the feeling of a pair of pants that is starting to get a little too tight doesn't make it better. Tyson groans once again before he decided that he can't continue to whimper like this and catches the phoenix off guard by grabbing one his arms and turn around in the embrace. Kai loses his balance and grabs the sink to steady himself while Tyson puts his arms around his neck and kisses him on the lips.

"Hnf…" And it's Kai´s turn to groan.

What they don't notice is how Kio sits on the floor looking at them with a pair of wide cat eyes. The small animal wonders why his owner tries to eat that other man but gets no chance to interrupt since a loud signal scares him. The two men stops when Kai´s cell phone starts to ring. Kai stays where he is as he looks at the display and Tyson notices how his facial expression turns bitter.

"It's Hiro."

Tyson follow Kai´s fingers with his eyes as the Russian hangs up on him. Kai sighs, clearly irritated by the call, and creates a distance between himself and Tyson. _That Hiro…he's always…_

"C´mon I need to get you home before Hiro calls the police." Kai mutters darkly.

"I´ll borrow your toilet before that…"

The voice Tyson uses makes Kai turn his focus back on the man again and his crimson eyes widen at the sight. Tyson stands there with a blush on his face while looking away in embarrassment but that isn't what catches Kai´s focus. His stare roams the man's body until he stares at the other's crotch.

"…!"

Tyson is quick to pass him by and look the bathroom door behind his back. _So embarrassing…! _Kai stares at the door with wide eyes before he closes his eyes and exhales deeply, touching his face when his own blush grows.

* * *

**Tyson** is surprised to feel butterflies in his stomach as he and the others are walking to the tattoo studio in town. He's thrilled to get his Dragoon done but also a little bur nervous about it all. A smoky scent hits him in the face as he enters the small studio and a man with a lot of tattoos and piercing greet him with a big smile.

"I never thought I would get the chance to do a celebrities, welcome."

"Haha." Tyson laughs. "You got the design I sent you right?"

"Of course." The man answers before he points at the bed behind the curtains. "Please take of your shirt and lay down."

Tyson nods and gives Max his bag to hold while he takes of his shirt. Kenny looks at his friend's chest and shivers as he sees how Tyson's ribcage can be seen through the skin. Everyone knows that the cancer treatment affects him that way but it's still scary to see a person whom always been muscular and more to the fat side be this skinny.

"You might feel pain at the start but the skin gets numb pretty quickly so hang in there, champ."

"No problem." Tyson smiles confidently. "Ouch!"

The small needle pierces his skin over and over again until Tyson can't tell them apart. It hurts like hell but just as the tattoo artists said does the pain fade after a while. A deep breath leaves Tyson´s lips when he's able to relax somewhat and he sends a smile to his friends.

"That, that looks scary." Max murmurs with his eyes on the needle. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." Tyson tells him.

The sound of a loud bee echoes in the narrow shop and Tyson doesn't have the energy to speak loud enough to make himself heard over the noise so he stays silent. Max and Rei talks about something but their voices becomes muffled and Tyson can't hear what they're talking about at all. Hilary and Kenny walks around the shop and shivers when they see all the extreme piercing and tools that are displayed there. Kai is sitting calmly in silence while he regards how the tattoo on Tyson´s torso gets larger.

"There, it's finished."

Tyson gets up and feels a little dizzy from lying there so long and he regards his reflection in the mirror. His brow eyes widen as he looks at the newly made tattoo that pictures his beat beast Dragoon flying through the air.

"It looks great."

"Haha yeah. I can't mess up when you're my client you know?" The man tells Tyson.

"It's my turn now."

Tyson flinches as Rei suddenly sits down on the bed. He stares at the neko-jin with a big question mark over his head.

"Eh Rei, what are you doing?" Tyson asks him with confusion.

"We said that we were going to do a team tattoo right? I want Drigger right here."

Rei smirks as he points at his left shoulder. Tyson stares at him like he's a real big moron before he continues.

"I… was seriously joking Rei, don't do this. You can't take away a tattoo when it's done."

"I'm not planing to, and I guess the others ain't either."

"The others?" Tyson repeats.

"We'll get ours done too, Tyson." Max tells him with a friendly smirk.

"You can't stop us." Kai grins broadly.

"Hey! Stop this." Tyson complains. "Otherwise people will say that we're just young and stupid!"  
"We're not doing this for your sake Tyson." Kai tells him. "We want this as well."

"Oh…"Tyson gasps. "I guess I can't stop you then."

Tyson can't help but stare when his team mates gets their tattoos done. What he thought was only a joke turned into reality without him really noticing it. Kai smiles at him and Tyson is sure that he's enjoying his confusion a lot. The Russian approaches him and touches the tattoo that's hidden beneath a big plastic softly. Tyson's heart starts beating like crazy at the small touch especially since it reminds him of the last time he touched his chest.

"It looks good on you." Is Kai´s only comment.

"…Thanks." A blush cover Tyson´s cheeks.

The two young men smile at each other but gets aware of their closeness as Rei fakes a cough. Kai flinches and looks at the tiger that nods in Hilary, Max and Kanny´s direction. A blush, similar to the one in Tyson's face, grows on Kai´s cheeks as he takes a step away from his secret love.

Max´s tattoo, a pretty small but intimidating turtle, decorates the skin of his chest and the blonde complains about the pain since he's he one that's not good at handling it. Rei laughs at Max while he glances at the tiger on his shoulder. Kai, who just got his done, has to look in a mirror to see the red phoenix on his back. Tyson can't help but stare at his friends with wide eyes while he tries to hold back his tears.

His gaze linger at Kai since he thinks his boyfriend looks amazing without his shirt on and the wings on his back makes the already bad ass looking Russian look so stunning. Kai´s red eyes that is reflected in the mirror meets his gaze and the two looks at each other in silence. Tyson can't explain what he's feeling right now but it's more than just gratitude.

Tyson thought that this tattoo would be a symbol of his fight against the cancer, a symbol of gratitude towards Dragoon but above all something that shows who he is. Now when his team mates done the same thing the tattoo means a lot more to him. It is a sign of their team and friendship and what he bet Ozuma would have said; a sign of the four sacred bit beast united power.

"Tyson, are you crying?"

"Eh?" Tyson jumps by surprise. "No! Got dirt in my eye, that's all."

"Oh man." Rei smiles. "Our tattoos ties us four together but you know that we would never leave you, right?"

"The Bladebreakers will forever be the Bladebreakers." Max cheers.

"You know…" Tyson murmurs.

"Tyson…?" Kai looks at him with a concerned expression.

"I _do_ really love you guys." Tyson tells them with a true smile. "… But you you're really stupid!"

* * *

**The **faint throbbing at his torso doesn't bother Tyson at all anymore and he's happy that he completed number five on his list. That means that he only has five more things to accomplish before he can rest in peace. He and Kai walks towards the dojo together since the Russian don't want Tyson to go alone in case something would happen. They reach Tyson's home rather quickly.

"Kai, I´ll see you later right?"

"Yeah."

Kai smiles and kisses him gently on the mouth but stops when a cold feeling enter him. He looks over his shoulder and spots the older Granger standing there with wide eyes and a pissed of expression on his face.

"Kai y-y-you!" Hiro stutters with anger. "What are you doing?!"

Hiro´s angry voice makes Tyson jump by surprise and he stares at his brother with equally wide eyes. If glares could kill Tyson guesses that all of them would fall to the ground lifeless by now. The Japanese man feels how Kai tenses at his side.

"_Kissing_, isn't that oblivious?" Kai tells the older man in a cold voice.

Oh no…

**_"Just like a tattoo, I will always have you"–Jordin Sparks

* * *

_**

**AN; I hope you liked it! Nothing happened in here more than some progress in Kai`s and Tyson´s relationship… and the friendship between the Bladebreakers. No one can hate fluff right? And well I wonder how Hiro will take that one!**

**Send me reviews folks, they'll help me update!**

**I would appreciate your suggestions for the rest of the numbers on the list, I'm stuck here!**

**H-stuff (Hentai); if you don´t know this word google it since I can´t explain it without blushing. LoL. **


	16. Not Enough Time

**AN; Thank you for all the reviews and support!

* * *

**

"**Kai,** I´ll see you later right?"

"Yeah."

Kai smiles and kisses him gently on the mouth but stops when a cold feeling enters him. He looks over his shoulder and spots the older Granger standing there with wide eyes and a pissed of expression on his face.

"Kai y-y-you!" Hiro stutters with anger. "What are you doing?!"

Hiro´s angry voice makes Tyson jump by surprise and he stares at his brother with equally wide eyes. If glares could kill Tyson guesses that all of them would fall to the ground lifeless by now. The Japanese man feels how Kai tenses at his side.

"Kissing, isn't that oblivious?" Kai tells the older man in a cold voice.

_Oh no…_

Tyson feels how his blood freezes to ice as Hiro rushes towards them but the younger Granger doesn't know how to react. It's like he can't move or think since the situation is too complicated for him to grasp, but Hiro´s frustrated face makes him shiver. This is going to get ugly. Hiro pushes Kai violently all of a sudden and the Russian enigma is forced to take a step back to regain his balance. Red angry eyes stares at Hiro in a deep threatening silence but the older Granger returns the glare with equal passion.

"Hands off!!" Hiro roars at him.

"Hey Hiro, calm down!" Tyson tries to communicate with his brother.

Tyson grabs Hiro´s shirt to make sure that he won't attack Kai again but he knows that if his brother wanted to he could easily push him away. _I feel so weak and tired…_The thought strikes him for a second but he gets no time to ponder about it since Hiro indeed shoves him away.

"You're forcing yourself on my brother?!" Hiro growls loudly in a manner that makes it clear that it's not a question but more of a fact. "You damn brat!!"

Tyson wobbles as he's pushed to the side and his about to fall but regains his balance just in time. That's when he notices that Hiro has grabbed Kai by his shirt and has him shoved up against the wall in a way that sends shivers down his spine. Even though Kai easily could get out of the situation by using violence the only thing he does is to stare straight into Hiro´s eyes and keeps his mouth shut. Fear grows inside of Tyson and he holds his breath as he approaches the two slowly.

"Hiro, let go of him."

"Tyson he---"

Tyson hits Hiro in the face with all his might but that power is far from dangerous. Two pairs of wide eyes stare at Tyson as he regains his posture after the hit but the one that's the most surprised is his brother. The former beyblade champion managed to get Hiro´s attention as he wished.

"Hiro, I'm dating Kai!!" Tyson informs him while panting. "He didn't take advantage of me."

Hiro´s eyes grow even wider at this new information.

"What!?" Hiro spits "Are you…serious?"

"We are." Kai answers coldly.

Kai grabs Hiro´s hands that are still holding his shirt and shoves them away rather rudely. He brushes away the invisible dirt on his clothes as he walks him by to be able to stand by Tyson´s side. A deep, relieved breath leaves Tyson´s lips when Kai is no longer in any kind of danger and he smiles up at the older man weakly. Both of them turn to regard Hiro. He stands there with wide eyes and a lost expression in his face.

"But it's… You're going to… _die_ Tyson and…you're both **guys**! You'll only end up hurting each other." Is Hiro´s conclusion.

"We know. I couldn't stay silent about my feelings for Kai so I… we… I´ll take responsibility." Yson tries to convince him.

"We're in this together." Kai looks at Tyson with a tender yet possessive gaze until he looks up at Hiro again. " You have no say in this."

A deep and uncomfortable silence spread between the three men and it feels like they could have heard it a nail fell to the ground. Tyson shivers.

"Tyson…" Hiro murmurs his brother´s name in a complaining voice. "I don't understand you."

Tyson feels like he should be apologising but decides not to since he has done nothing wrong. Well, except hitting his brother. The stare contest continues but is suddenly interrupted by the Granger's grandfather who walks down the small path from the garden. The old man lower his pace as he takes notice of the atmosphere.

"Oh hiya folks! What´s goin´ on?"  
"…Nothing granpa." Hiro murmurs.

Hiro forces a smile to his lips before he turns around and walks into their home without saying another thing. Tyson and Kai follow him with their eyes in silence. The old man ignores the tension and acts as he usually does.

"Okay, somethin´did happen, huh? Dinner is ready, Kai you can stay if you want."

"I can´t, I have stuff to take care of."

"Alright, well it was fun to see you around."

Grandpa walks into the dojo after Hiro and he shuts the door behind him firmly. The two young men exhales deeply before they look at each other with different expressions- Tyson looks tired and a little troubled while Kai smirks at the whole situation. He never thought that Tyson would hit Hiro to protect him like that but the gesture makes his chest burn with warmth. Kai forces himself to not think of it and turns his focus to his lover.

"Are you going to be ok?" Kai asks Tyson in a concerned manner.

"Probably. I´ll text you about it later."

"Sure." Kai nods.

Kai, who've decided that hiding his feelings is no longer needed, leans down and gives Tyson a quick but tender kiss on the lips. He can feel the shorter man's surprise and he smirks against his tempting lips. Even though he wants to deepen it a lot more, making out in front of Hiro won't make the situation better for Tyson. He ends their embrace by squeezing Tyson´s hand gently as if he tries to comfort him.

"Laters."

* * *

**The **phoenix blader walks down the street with his hands in his pockets, his scar floats behind him. He's in deep thought and even though he's walking away from the dojo his thoughts stays with Tyson. He wonders if he'll be okay after what happened with Hiro. A lot of people in this world are against homosexual love and it sometimes makes it impossible to bear. Kai finds himself pondering over what situation he is in with the Japanese world champion.

A small, almost unnoticeable, blush makes Kai´s pale face look more alive as he recalls how he molested Tyson earlier. The Russian man did his best at hiding his embarrassment and joy as they kissed and touched but it's a single memory that makes his legs feel like jelly.

Tyson stood there with a feverish blush on his face while he looked at Kai with embarrassment. He asked if it was okay to use his bathroom, a question that he didn't understand at first, but the realisation made his hormones jump. It wasn't hard to find the reason why Tyson was so embarrassed or wanted to flee since his erection made his trousers look like a small tent in his crotch area. The Japanese man was so aroused and there mere sight of it made Kai´s own manhood twitch with excitement. An excitement he forced himself to ignore as Tyson disappeared into the bathroom.

Kai wants to punch himself for thinking about it in the way he does but he can't and finds himself enjoying the strange, lustful happiness that has invades his whole being. _This alien feeling…_ Kai shakes his head. _…feels unnaturally good._ If the Bladebreakers saw him now they would surely not recognise their captain; he's wearing a true smile. Another dirty thought enters his mind, a thought that makes him blush even more. _Did he masturbate while thinking of me? _

Kai has never felt this way before and it scared him at first but due to Tyson's equal feelings he was able to accept them in a way. He has never cared about love since he was born without it and the crazy fangirls who constantly are after him didn't really give him a nice image of _true love. _His face darkens. _But when it was my time to fall in love I fell for my …best friend who's a guy and… dying. _Don't take it the wrong way, Kai doesn't dislike homosexual love but knows nothing about it. And the fact that his lover is dying makes it harder for him to bear it since this happiness will someday turn into sadness. _Can I handle it or will I… _An intense pain makes it hard to breathe.

"Tyson…" _I love you. _

Kai forces himself to stop thinking, he can't risk a emotional breakdown here.

* * *

**The **scent of rice and curry lingers in the air and Tyson both feels and hears how his stomach grumbles. The feeling of a need to throw up enters him a second later and he decides not to eat but drink some water instead. Granpa regards Tyson with a sad expression as he once again pushes away the plate he picked for him. _Tyson doesn't eat any longer… it's soon time…_

"Gamps, bring me the salt."

"E-eh, sure!"

Tyson isn't feeling so well and the fact that Hiro stares at him when he thinks he doesn't know makes it worse. _Is it that hard to believe that I love Kai? _A sigh can be heard. _Is it really that taboo to love one of the same sex?_ His thoughts makes him somewhat depressed and he tries to swallow the uneasiness down with his glass of water. When he doesn't notice is that his loose t-shirt slips down to reveal his newly made tattoo.

"What's that?" Hiro breaks the silence suddenly.

"A tattoo."

"When did you get a tattoo?"  
"Yesterday, the whole team got one." Tyson smiles. "Looking good, huh?"

Hiro frowns a little as he regards Dragoon on Tyson´s chest and his face tells his younger brother that he clearly dislikes it. He stays silent for a while, takes a sip of his water before he starts to talk again.

"Even Kai got one?"

"…Yes." Tyson looks at Hiro with caution. _Why is he interested in Kai? _"A portrait of Dranzer on his back. It looks like he has a pair of wings there… it suits him."

"He's a little gangsta!" Gramps jokes and touches Tyson´s shoulder gently. "Do ya want to eat some ice cream instead? You need to get somethin´ down ya belly."  
"Sure, I´ll try."

It's easier to swallow the sweet cream than rice and curry but it still feels bad to eat at all. Tyson wonders if he'll throw it all up in the end. It feels meaningless to eat and it scares him.

"So you're Ok with the tattoo Gramps?"  
"Why wouldn't I? It's your body son." He smiles. "It's your life."

That's when Tyson realises that his grandfather won't object to his relationship with Kai. A smile grows bigger on his lips at the realisation. The old man is clearly telling the two brothers that Tyson is in control over his body, emotions and remaining time on earth and can do whatever he likes with it. A heavy burden is lifted from his shoulders but a small part of it remains, Tyson glances at his brother.

* * *

**Rei **smiles as he sees how their captain walks over to join their training. The Russian man has been out of it for a while and his mere presence makes the team happier. The Bladebreakers has reached the semi-finals already and they need their captain's support more than ever now.

Rei jumps of the branch he sat on when Kai is about to walk him by and smirks up at the slightly taller man. Kai glances down at him with one raised brow.  
"Did something good happen?" Is Rei´s cunning question.  
"Both good and bad." Is Kai´s answer. He's as always leaving out the details.

Rei winces as he feel how Kai immediately tries to create an invincible barrier between the two. The Chinese member of the team isn't dumb nor blind; he knows both Kai and Tyson are going through heavy things at the moment so Kai has a reason to stay silent. It makes him feel bad though since he wants Kai to trust him enough to tell him his thoughts.

"Oh." Rei smiles weakly. "You know that you can talk to me if you want to, I´ll listen."

Kai seems surprised by Rei´s offer and looks at him in silence for a while before he nods.

"I´ll keep that in mind, Rei." Kai smiles weakly before his expression turns into a stern frown. "Everyone stop lazing around, do five laps!"

Max, Kenny and Hilary notices Kai when he starts giving orders and the two young men groans at the command. Hilary continues to smile brightly since she knows she won't have to run like crazy today either.

"Oh man, Kai is back." Max complains with a smile.

It doesn't take long for Kai to get his team mates to take their training seriously again and the four men practises until they're all sweaty. It feels like they're able to turn the current situation, Tyson's sickness, and turn it into a reason worth fighting for. All of them have decided to fight for their friend's sake and win the world championships for him for the fourth time. Their will to do that increases their abilities enormously and Kai is surprised over how much all of them has improved since he last coached them.

Breathing deeply, Kai lies down on the ground and lets the grass tickle his damp skin. It feels good. His chest sinks and rises as he breathes and the air leaves his lips in silent pants. _I've not felt this tired for a long time…_ Kai smirks as Kenny literally collapses due to fatigue by his side.

"Gah… I can't...move!" He complains loudly.

"Me neither!" Max collapses as well.

"Hahah!" Hilary laughs at the sight, she's secretly enjoying it.

It almost feels like old times when they all were together and had fun, trained until they collapsed, laughed…but Kai can't really enjoy it since Tyson isn't there. Tyson's presence is important since he has always been in the centre of the team. A character like him can't be forgotten nor ignored. A small pain interrupts Kai´s peace and he frowns as his body starts to feel strange again. A pair of yellow cat-like eyes regard him in silence and Rei decided to talk to Kai once again after a time of pondering.

Rei stays with Kai as the three others leave the training ground and the man can feel how Kai tenses. He smiles up at him and starts to speak when they can see how Kenny, Max and Hilary disappear into the distance.

"Love between men is strictly forbidden in the White Tiger village but I personally think that love is love, no matter who you fall for. What matters is the person, not the gender." Rei breaks the silence suddenly.

Kai tenses even more as he understands what Rei is talking about. The Russian knows that Rei knew about him and Tyson in a way but not to what extent. It takes some time before he can grasp what Rei said since he was too hooked up with why he knew about it. Some of the pain in his chest fades away as his friend almost repeats the words Tyson said to him when he confessed.  
"Tyson said the same thing." Kai tells him quietly, with a small smile.

Rei´s eyes widen a fraction but his surprise turns into happiness. He's glad that Kai finally decided to open up a tiny bit to him and that things went well when both of their loves were accepted.

"Haha I bet he did." Rei smirks so his fangs are showing. "But Kai…"

Kai snaps out of his daydreaming as Rei uttered his name and red eyes turn to look at the man beside him. The Chinese man looks serious.  
"What?"

Rei smiles once again but this time in a weak manner. Kai can see the pain in his eyes.  
"Seize the moment before it's too late. I hate to say it but if you aren't honest with your feelings you'll feel like shit when he passes away."

Kai´s eyes widen at what he said. _I am true to my feelings…_ Even though he knew that Tyson would die he embraced his feelings and said he loved him. He took that step that Rei also encouraged him to take some weeks ago. _What does he mean? _A crimson gaze turns to the ground as he starts to brainstorm for the answer. He can't think of a way where he would feel no regret after Tyson's death, not a _single_ way. Maybe he should give in to his urges more? Be with his lover more, touch him more, make him laugh more and… make the time that's left worth living. Kai thinks he starts to understand the message Rei tries to give him.

"You're a good friend." He murmurs.  
"I'm trying but I nearly got a black eye from you due to it!"

"…Yeah." Kai feels a little guilty about it but shrugs it off.

The two men look at each other with appreciation.

"Let's part ways here, ok? Be careful on your way home."  
"Rei, thanks for your help but I can take care of myself."  
"Who knows? Laters."

* * *

**White **corridors make Tyson squint as he heads towards Dr McKain´s office on a Wednesday afternoon. The hospital is as white as always but it's different now and it hurts his eyes. He notices how some small children stares at him as he limps down the corridor with his shining bald head all by himself but ignores it. It doesn't bother him anymore. His steps feel so heavy and he finds himself out of breath all of a sudden. Tyson's heart is racing in his chest and the young man can't understand why. The door opens as he wipes away the traces of sweat on his forehead.

"How have you been doing Tyson?" McKain greets him in the doorway.

The doctor steps aside and lets Tyson enter the small office to sit down. The uneasiness Tyson feels fade away a bit as he sits down and it leaves his mind.  
"Fine… the throbbing in my head is the same but I'm sleeping a lot more nowadays. And eating has become a burden…"

Tyson already knows that what he tells the doctor is the truth and it's all bad signs. Really bad signs. The man nods and looks through some papers that Tyson thinks are from his earlier check ups here.

"Mmm…" He looks a little troubled. "Do you feel that the medicine works?"  
"Yes, it doesn't hurt as much but it makes me sleep more and more."  
"I see. Anything else you've noticed?"

"Not really."

"Alright. I´ll do a regular check up and then I might be able to tell you about the progress of the cancer…We're both aware of that…"  
"There's not much time left." Tyson finishes the sentence for him.  
"Correct."

Tyson, who's used to the doctor's check ups, takes of his shirt and lets the man do his job. Goosebumps makes his hair stand straight up as the cold air hits his bare skin but he's able to avoid a shiver. McKain listens to his heart, measures his blood pressure, takes a blood sample and makes him do some rather lame balance exercises where he's surprised over how bad his sense of balance has become. Sweat is once again covering his forehead and it scares Tyson since he has always been in a good condition and not broken a sweat due to something this easy.

"You've come a long way, longer than I first thought, but I'm sorry to say that your time is soon over. I estimate that you've about a month left, take or give some days."

Tyson sits down and tries to calm himself and his raging heart down but the information doesn't make it an easy task. He's aware of that he is dying but it's way too eerie to hear it like that.

"So I´ll fall asleep in some weeks and… be like…in a coma until I die?"

"Yeah. Your body will shut down but your mind will be functioning until the end. So I suggests that your family and friends keep you company when it happens."

"Yeah…"

_My time with Kai, with the Bladebreakers, with my family and everyone else is limited. _Tyson's breath leaves his lips in small pants. _I´ll die soon…too soon! _Panic is starting to take over him but he fights it since he doesn't want to break down in front of McKain. _Didn't I prepare myself for this all this time? I know that I´ll die but why is it so fucking scary!? _A deep breath can be heard between the white walls of the doctor's office.

"Then I…I´ll take my leave." Tyson forces it out and is quick to get up on his feat.

That strange uneasiness comes back with full force as he walks towards the door and he feels how he's losing his balance. Heart beating rapidly, losing his balance, panic and fear all makes him fall to the ground just outside the office. McKain jumps to his feet at this.

"Tyson!"

The light disappears as he hits the cold floor and he loses his consciousness for a second or to before McKain´s rough hands brings him back again. It feels like he has been pushed to hell and dragged back again. A pair of big, panicky brown eyes stares at the older man with fear that reaches his soul.  
"W-what happened?" Tyson stutters with confusion.  
"You collapsed out of a sudden."

Tyson's eyes gets a little smaller as he understands the situation and remembers what happened to him.

"Urg, my head hurts…" He winces.

"It's probably due to stress and fatigue…have you been eating properly lately Tyson?"  
"Eh?" Tyson looks up."…No."

"I´ll give you some IV and I suggest you stay the night. Do you want us to contact your relatives?"

The way the doctor speaks makes Tyson realise that he can't object or complain, it's not a suggestion it's an order.

"…Sure."

* * *

**It **feels strange for Tyson to once again be lying in one of those nasty smelling white beds. The whiteness is hurting him and it makes him turn his face into the fluffy _white _pillow. The weakness that keeps him lying there is scaring him more than before and Tyson wonders if he would be able to get out of bed by himself at this moment. He doesn't dare to try.

He can't sleep. The hours pass by and all he can do is stare out the window and think about his misery. _I'm pathetic… _He swallows and can feel how his mouth is getting dry. _No time, I have no time. _Heavy eyelids close as Tyson shuts his eyes and enters his personal world of thoughts only. He's in a hurry to complete his list, he still have a lot of things he wants to do before he dies and it feels like there's no time left for that any longer. The need to run and go crazy enters him but he can't move since he doesn't have the strength to.

A burning need to be comforted and loved enters him all of a sudden and he longs for Kai desperately. Will Kai still love him when he gets to weak to move? Will Kai hold him when Tyson is too weak to respond to his touches? Will the two of them be able to take their relationship to the…next level? Pain devours him like never before and he groans loudly as his body experiences something strange. It's like he's burning but is cold at the same time, like he's dead but still alive… _Kai!… Oh God… _

"How many kisses will we share before I… before I… die?" Tyson stutters uncontrollably. "Will you cry when I'm gone? How much longer will I hurt you before it's finally over?"

Tears falls down his cheeks and creates small rivers on his pale skin. Salt on his tongue makes Tyson swallow but his throat is aching due to his sadness. It's hard to breathe. It's so hard to stand the pain but knowing that there still is some good things left to experience makes it worth it.

"I want to b-b-e with you." He stutters through his pain. "I want you."

Tyson´s teary eyes snaps open and they turn narrow as the thought hits him once again. He wants the other man so badly that it hurts like hell but he can't stop wanting him. The pain must be worth the pain, the tears and the sadness because it sometimes feels that his love for Kai is the only thing that keeps him breathing. Guilt invades him. What about Beyblade, the team, Dragoon, his family and everything else? _I care but... Kai...seems to be the only one for me now. _Tyson turns around and reaches for the cell phone that's located on the desk next to the bed.

He turns it on even though he knows it's forbidden and starts to text the man that's constantly haunting his mind. Tears fall down and make the small screen blurry but he brushes it of with his thumb. That's when he notices that his hands are shaking. A frown makes Tyson look very sick as he tries to push the correct buttons on the phone to get a desperate call for help through to his soulmate. _Hey Kai. I need to see you tomorrow, are you free?

* * *

_

**Tyson **finds himself standing outside Kai´s apartment. He's soaked from head to toe and the scent of the hospital is still lingering on his skin. It's raining outside and he didn't bring an umbrella but the dampness doesn't bother him at all. He can't feel anything but the need to be close to the man that's on the other side of the door in front of him.

The need and the desperation is urging him on and Tyson doesn't know if he rung the bell or knocked because Kai is suddenly facing him in the doorway. Those red eyes stare at him with confusion, concern and something else and that makes him throw his arms around his neck. Tyson has no idea how he can be so strong around the phoenix when he nearly couldn't stand yesterday but he doesn't question it. Kai´s beating heart that seems to be as load as the signal of a passing train makes him cling to the man. Strong arms wraps themselves around his waist and Tyson feels protected in Kai´s embrace.

"…Did Hiro do something?" Is Kai´s first question. He sounds angry and very protective.

Kai is wondering why Tyson suddenly wanted to see him that badly because it has been bugging him since he read that text message. The fact that Tyson shows up at his doorstep all of a sudden is clearly stating that something is wrong. Something will become bad if Tyson doesn't get out of those wet clothes soon. Kai pulls Tyson closer to himself and he shuts the door behind them.

"No, not really. I wanted to see you, that's all." Tyson whispers.

Kai knows that something is wrong. No matter how much he likes Tyson´s eagerness to touch or hug him does he know that he usually don't act that way.

"Really?"

Tyson exhales deeply and the used oxygen tickles Kai´s shoulder. The enigma feels how his own clothes starts to get wet by his lover's soaked form but he ignores it since he wants to focus on Tyson´s answer. The Japanese man looks up at Kai and the emotions in those chocolate brown orbs takes Kai by surprise. His heart starts beating faster.

"You can always see through my lies…" Tyson chuckles. " I want to ask you to do something."

"…But first I need you to change clothes and drink something warm. You're going to get sick."

"But I…" Tyson complains. "I don't have time."

"Why the rush?"

Kai distance himself from Tyson and heads into his bedroom. He takes forth a set of clothes for Tyson and pushes him into his bathroom.

"Take a warm shower and put these on. We'll take over a cup of coffee, ok?"

"Roger." Tyson sounds saddened.

Kai listens how Tyson turns on the water on the other side of the door and sighs to himself. _Why did I interrupt him? Because I was scared? _Kai walks into the kitchen and prepares two cups of coffee. _Rei did tell me to seize the moment…_ The Russian almost steps on Kio´s tail as the small kitten asks for comfort by walking close to his owner's legs. _Why am I hesitant?_ Kio purrs as Kai strokes his fur gently but is quiet disappointed by that he's not in the centre of the enigma's attention. What if Kai accidentally hurts Tyson if he loses his control over his lust and emotions? _What if I break him? _

The scent of coffee is spreading in the apartment but it's soon mixed together with the smell of soap. Tyson enters the kitchen and sits down at the table in silence. He uses the towel as a bandana and it's currently hiding his bald head. Kai hands him the cup and sits down, they sip at their drinks in silence. Kai glances at Tyson who's acting very calmly compared to when he first entered his apartment.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Kai is finally brave enough to ask him.

Tyson looks up.  
"It's the next number on my list, I need your help to complete it."  
"And…?"

Kai regards Tyson as he turns to look away, he looks everywhere else except in his eyes and it makes Kai uneasy. He understands quickly that what Tyson will ask of him isn't something you talk about casually and the older man decides to wait for the answer. The same look Tyson stared at him with before is glued at him when the former champion chooses to speak again. A faint blush cover his pale cheeks.

"Kai my next wish is… ehm…" Tyson is hesitant and a little timid. "I want you to make love to me."

* * *

**AN; Sorry for the cliffhanger! Mowahahah**

**I can feel how this story is slowly coming to an end. I hope I won't cry.**

**I'm feeling kind of down today due to a lot of things so I hope you can cheer me up again. I hate to be depressed! So Please Read and Review! Your opinions are important to me! **


	17. Number 4

**AN: Thanks for your support!**

**Warning; M rated lemon up ahead. If you don't want to read it you can skip this first part of the chapter and search for the next black, a little thicker word that means there is a new scene. **

**It's soon time for me to graduate and then I´ll be able to write more! Don´t worry I´ll update faster then!

* * *

**

**Kai´s **red eyes are wider than usual as he looks at his boyfriend's face. It seems like it takes a long time for the Russian to grasp what Tyson wanted to tell him and when he does it takes him by surprise. Even though he feels how his body gets warmer, his heart beating faster and breathing becomes quicker do he stay completely collected in front of Tyson. Well only on the exterior until he asked if he understood what he said correctly.

"You want us two to…?" Kai asks him.  
"Mm-hm…" Tyson nods.

Tyson looks Kai in the eye and the Japanese young man loses his cool when he notices how his always stoic lover turns slightly pink in the face. As if the notion created a chain reaction does Tyson´s own two cheeks turn red by a burning blush. He thought it would be easy just to ask him to do it but when feelings like these are involved it gets harder and more emotional.

"Why…?" Kai murmur almost shyly.

Tyson shakes his head as he tells himself to snap out of it. He doesn't have any time to hesitate any longer and if he truly wants this he'll have to get it now. Brown eyes stare into Kai´s soul as he explains why he all of a sudden wanted to sleep with him.  
"My time is limited." It's hard for Tyson to speak since thinking of his illness makes him hurt. "I´ll go to bed and not wake up in just some weeks, or less. I don't want to die with regrets."

Kai listens in silence as he slowly understands what Tyson wants to say. The way Tyson talks makes Kai approach him and he puts a hand on his shoulder. The touch creates electricity between them. Tyson doesn't just want to sleep with him because he's in a hurry, he would have liked to take the time to get closer before taking their relationship to the next stage but can't in his situation. It's all about the need to get closer.

"I want to take our relationship to the next level before I…before all of my powers fade away. I want you Kai, I want all of you, but I'm afraid to grow too weak to hold you!"

Tyson´s arms encircles Kai´s body suddenly as if he wants to prove to Kai that he still is able to touch him of free will. The feel of Tyson holding him with such emotion makes Kai blush even more but the words that emerged from the Japanese´s lips lingers in his mind. They´re both in deep. Tyson will die and this might be their only chance to become one. Just as much as Tyson doesn't want to die with regrets do Kai not want to see how he slips through his fingers when he has no control.

"Tyson, I…" Kai breathes as his desperation starts to grow.

A pair of strong, muscular and pale arms returns the hug in a possessive way and Kai buries his face between Tyson´s chin and collarbone. The scent of the local hospital lingers on Tyson´s skin. _Something happened. _Kai inhales deeply. _This is really bad…_ Feelings that Kai didn't know of months ago rises inside of him as he holds Tyson closer to himself and the need continues to grow stronger. _I want to make him mine. _

"I'm so scared." Tyson murmurs, his breath tickles Kai´s forehead. "I shouldn't have fallen in love with you, not now, not—"

Even though Kai knows those words so well since he also thought like that does he frown as Tyson utters them. With a displeased grunt, Kai touches Tyson´s bald head and makes him shut up with a single glance with a pair of hungry red eyes.

"I want to make you mine too." Kai voices his inner wish.

Tyson flinches as he grasps what Kai said and as he looks up to meet the other man's crimson stare tears fall down from his eyes. Two big, pale hands touch his cheeks and wipes a way the tears gently.

"Don't cry…" Kai murmurs.

"Haha I'm …just…happy! I never thought that this love would work so I'm…so pathetic" Tyson is slowly losing his mind.

"Tyson, don't speak just kiss me." And Kai takes the lead.

Tyson´s smile fades and he turns serious as the command is registered in his brain. Kai doesn't think of him as pathetic and he wants to embrace him right now. _Why didn't I realise my feelings sooner? Then we could…Then this cancer would maybe…aaah. _Cold lips touch a pair of warm ones and create a shiver that runs down both of their spines and leaves Tyson unable to protest when Kai pushes him out of the kitchen chair and towards the bedroom. The bed squeaks loudly as the two falls into the soft sheets but none of them cares, their lips are still connected. Tyson breaks the kiss to inhale fresh air but Kai sucks on his lower lip lovingly which makes a breathless groan leave his lips instead. Cold fingers slips under the shirt Kai lent him and the mere feeling of the touch emits a low, hoarse moan from the younger man.

"C-can we turn off…the lights? Tyson almost sound panicked.

Kai hand stops for a moment and Tyson feels how those cold fingers are able to feel his skeleton through his skin. The need to turn off the lights grows stronger and he suddenly feels uncomfortable with Kai´s closeness. With his intense red eyes staring at him like that, seeing his soul and bones…

"Why? I want to see all of you…" Kai comments.

Tyson grabs Kai´s hand in fear of that he'll continue to touch until he realises that the man he's about to love is only a bag of skin and bones. He doesn't want Kai to see him as the living corpse he is and he curses himself for even suggesting having sex for a moment. Tyson glances up at Kai.  
"I…I'm only skin and bones Kai." Tyson tells him honestly.

A somewhat cold silence spread between them for a moment where Kai thinks about the condition his lover really is in. He has noticed it a long time ago but he didn't think it Tyson had realised it or felt bad about it. With a new breath of air Kai lower himself down to kiss the Japanese man's forehead. _Kissing the cancer. _A soft breath leaves his lips and makes Tyson´s eyelashes flutter.

"I want to see you." Kai repeats. "If I don't, how do you think I´ll ever accept this _cancer _when you'll…leave me?"

Tyson´s eyes widen and traces of tears can be spotted in his eyes and he doesn't object when Kai tugs at the shirt before he slowly pulls it over Tyson´s head. Cold hands, Kai´s hands, touches him sensually in a way that Tyson imagines a man who has never eaten reaches after his first meal. Kai kisses the tattoo on his torso carefully. The touches are uncertain but still firm and it makes Tyson go crazy. _Why is my heart beating like this? _Tyson looks up at Kai who's towering over him. Red eyes meet brown._ Don't…look at me like that…_ Their lips meet in a heated lip lock where tongues battle for dominance. Saliva connects them as their lips disconnect when breathing becomes a problem.

"I´ll… make love to you. I´ll…" Kai tells Tyson almost as if he's afraid to let the other down.  
"Kai, I love you." Is Tyson´s answer. "It's unfair to be the only one without a shirt…take your clothes off."

This takes Kai out of balance, which gives Tyson the chance to take of his shirt and touch skin he hasn't been allowed to touch before. The pale, cold and scarred skin of Hiwatari Kai feels great against his own feverish body as Tyson slowly pulls himself up to capture the other in an embrace. A ragged breath leaves Kai and the sound of it makes Tyson shudder, he never knew he could make Kai react like that. Their chests touch as Tyson pulls himself up towards his boyfriend so Kai can pull of the pants that has become a burden due to a growing manhood. When the pants are off, Tyson falls back onto the bed and doesn't let Kai get a chance to look at him since he pulls at his jeans.

"Take them all…off." Is his order.

Kai obeys quietly and the spell that made him unable to act disappears as he kicks off his pants before he lowers his mouth to Tyson´s chest.

"Ah!" A surprised gasp breaks the silence. "Haa.."

Tyson grabs Kai´s hair rather roughly when warm and quite talented tongue teases his right nipple. The warmth is almost unbearable and it's spreading throughout all of Tyson's body like a virus. The sucking, licking and teasing makes his aroused which is something Kai seems to have understood since a hand suddenly squeezes the throbbing manhood underneath the now too small boxers.

"What the…? Ngh…"

A cold hand strokes his aching member carefully and Tyson feels as if he's about to explode. He has been jerking off while thinking of Kai several times but him touching him like this feels so much better. _I'm gonna …_Tyson bites his lip hard to prevent another moan to leave him as Kai decides to move over to his other nipple. The hand that has Kai´s hair in a tight hold jerks suddenly which makes Kai look up from Tyson´s chest with an expression of lust and sudden pain. The pain disappears quickly when Kai notices the tears in Tyson's eyes. It makes his already throbbing heart hurt as he sees Tyson crying and above all to see how thin and fragile the champion has become. Crimson eyes turn soft as Kai grabs the hand that holds his hair, leans to kiss Tyson and leads that hand to a body part that needs immediate attention.

"Haaah…!" Kai pants into Tyson´s mouth as he feels how the hand touches him sensually.

Nothing Kai has experienced in his whole life has made him feel like this before, nothing. The feeling can't be compared with the first time he won a beyblade battle, or when he obtained Dranzer or even when he beat Tyson in a match. Kai is flying.

"I'm…I can't hold it in" Kai tells Tyson in a hoarse, husky voice. "I'm going to take you."

If Tyson had the power to he would complain about being the woman in the sex act but he can only accept as Kai prepares him. Brown eyes widen as he feels how something hard touches his ass.

"Agh!" Tyson groans painfully. "Oh my God…"

Kai has entered him.

"Are…" Kai pants. "You alright, Tyson?"

"Just…feeling a little dizzy."

Tyson breathes hard as he closes his eyes when his body adjusts to the change and Kai watches him with caution. Just as much as he wants to continue he doesn't want to hurt the man beneath him. Brown eyes look up at Kai.

"Kai, move…"

Kai wonders for a moment if Tyson means that he wants him gone before he realise that he should _move_ and turn his lover's pain into passion. He thrusts carefully and eyes snap open as the feeling hits him in the face. He thrusts again but with a little more power and moans by the mare feeling of being inside of Tyson with him squeezing his manhood so tightly. His at first uncertain movements grows stronger and firmer with each thrust.

"Ah!" Kai pants. "I love you, love youuu…"

The confession makes Tyson see stars. The two of them has become one both soul- and body wise.

"Ngh…!"

Tyson puts his arms around Kai´s neck to steady himself and the touch makes the Russian shudder violently.

"Oh shit." Tyson murmurs as he's slowly losing his consciousness.

"Tyson?" Kai utters his name.

"Don't stop!"

"I'm breaking you…"  
"I'm ok, dammit! Continue! _Ahhhhh_…"

And they came together, falling into a heap before they both fell asleep. No one noticed the tears in their eyes.

* * *

**The **sound of Kio purring is what brings Kai out of the dream world as he wake up to find himself lying in bed with Tyson. The smaller man lies there in his arms sleeping like never before. A deep content sigh leaves Kai´s lips as he leans back into the soft sheets and lets his arm, that Tyson is resting on, pulls the other man closer to his bare chest. The small cat looks at the two men with a pair of intrigued eyes before he lies down close to Kai. The Russian feels oddly comfortable in his bed together with his lover and loyal pet and it's a feeling he isn't used to. He's used to wake up alone, get up quickly and get to work not to relax like this. Red eyes glance down at Tyson's peaceful face.

Kai looks at the clock and realises that he and Tyson are supposed to meet the guys in some hours and if they want to get there in time they should get up now. Kio makes a displeased sound when Kai starts to move and the little kitten jumps out of the bed gracefully. The cold air hits his bare skin and creates goose bumps on his arms as he pulls away from the warm Tyson and tries to wake up. The Japanese man doesn't complain and he stays silent in the bed. Kai runs his fingers though his messy two-toned hair with his back facing Tyson but when he notice that the other man doesn't wake up he calls out for him.

"Tyson, wake up."

A pair of wary red eyes glances at Tyson as he waits for any kind of response from the man but a cold feeling grows stronger in his chest for each passing second. The bald Japanese man lies there in silence and doesn't even react when Kai touches his bare shoulder gently.

"Tyson." Kai repeats in a tense manner.

A cold feeling enters him as the thought of Tyson not waking up but the flicker of his eyelashes calms his nerves. A pair of chocolate brown eyes open slowly and a loud groan leaves his dry lips. A breath Kai didn't know he was holding leaves him when Tyson smiles up at him with a yawn.

"Hee?"

The ice-cold fear fades slowly and Kai´s tense shoulders relax a bit. Kai pushes himself up from the bed and puts on his jeans. Tyson sits up but is quick to flinch and a groan leaves his lips, this makes Kai turn around quickly.

"Owww… my ass hurts." Tyson complains with a smirk.

Kai stares at him for a while before he sighs and returns to getting dressed.

"Hn." A small smile graces Kai´s lips.  
"Why are you smiling?!" Tyson asks with a smile. "Why are we getting up this early?"  
"We were supposed to meat the guys, remember?"

"Oh right…"

"I´ll prepare coffee."

Tyson watches Kai as he heads out of the room and those brown eyes are glued to his muscular back. The tattoo of Dranzer is there, those large wings makes him look like an angel. But several scars can be spotted on that pale skin and the sight of them makes Tyson´s smile fade. He can still remember how he touched them, traced the outlines of them with his fingers when Kai was still inside of him. Tyson shakes his head to get rid of these thoughts before he makes his way to the bathroom to take his pills. His body is aching in a strange way but it's not a bad pain, Tyson likes it.

The smell of black coffee lingers in the kitchen when Tyson enters and he finds the Russian sitting at the table holding a cup and eating a sandwich. The coffee cup feels warm in his palm as Tyson joins his boyfriend and prepares a sandwich for himself while stealing glances at Kai. Tyson is so happy and can't stop smiling. Another number on his list has been completed. Tyson flinches when Kai suddenly looks up at him; finding out that he has been regarding him for the last ten minutes.

"What did the doctor say?" Kai asks.  
"What do you mean?" Tyson is slow to get out of his daze.  
"You came to me after one of your check ups right?" Kai takes another sip of his coffee.

Tyson glances away while he wants to hides the fact that he collapsed and was sent to the hospital rather than going on a random check up.

"So what did he say?" Kai repeats.  
"I've one month left." Is his short answer.

A tense silence spread between them. Kai looks into Tyson's eyes while he grasps what he just said. Red eyes changes from intense to misty in the time of some seconds.

"What do you want to do?" Kai asks Tyson breathlessly.  
"I need to write a will, prepare my funeral and a lot of...things."

"I see."

"….and…" Tyson swallows some saliva. "I need to contact Daichi."

"That mountain money is going to cause trouble, is it worth it?" Kai asks Tyson in a sarcastic voice.

"We'll have to wait and see."

* * *

**The **sound of sea gulls can be heard as the Bladebreakers walk down the road towards the ocean. Hilary was the one who suggested that they should have a picnic at the beach even though it's a little out of season. She even bought a watermelon. The chilly air caresses their skin as the breeze touches them, making both Kai´s scarf and Rei´s long braid float in the wind.

"Ah I love picnics!" Max exclaims with a smile, his blue eyes are sparkling. "Especially since Hilary took some cooking lessons…"  
"Was I really that bad back then?" Hilary asks the guys.

She remembers the times when she prepared food for them and they panicked due to the flavour of it. Since she has become famous she has entered a lot of cooking programs and can now call herself skilled in that area, even Rei has complimented her meals.  
"Yupp." Max, Kenny and Rei chants in a choir.

"Moe…" She complains. "Well, I'm glad that I'm progressing…"

"Hehe." Kenny chuckles.

All of them decides to sit down on some rocks close to the beach so Kai and Rei prepares a blanket to sit on, Hilary prepares the food while the others goof around. The scent of salt water, seaweed and food is a nice combination in Tyson´s point of view but the thought of eating makes him sick as he sits down. He wonders when the last time he really ate was and that thought scares him.

"Tyson, you look pale, is everything ok?" Max asks his friend in a concerned voice.

"Yeah." Tyson forces himself to smile. "Just a little dizzy, maybe the walk here was too much for me."  
Even though that was meant to calm Max and the others down does Tyson flinch when he realises how bad it probably sounded in their ears. Blue eyes look at him with deeper concern than before when Max sits down besides him. Tyson can feel Kai´s eyes on him too.

"Take it easy, ok? If it gets worse just tell us."

"Sure."  
Tyson smiles again but feels so pathetic and wants to cry. He swallows his pain and continues to smile when Hilary starts talking about her work to change the subject. Tyson is glad that he has friends that care for him like this but it hurts him as well since he knows that when they see him they see a walking skeleton that's soon going to rot away in a coffin underground. A sharp pain in his chest makes it harder to breathe when he realises that he'll die sooner than anyone of them expects. A cold hand cover his all of a sudden and the touch makes Tyson look up at Kai with surprise in his face. The Russian is sitting next to him, holding his hand like it's normal while discussing beyblade with Rei. _Oh Kai… I thank Buddah that I have you. _Tyson swallow his pain and squeezes Kai´s hand as a thank you.

"We're going up against the best of the best now. "Rei comments. "It's soon time to fight for the tile."

The neko-jin glances at Kai´s and Tyson´s connected hands with a content smirk on his lips before the yellow eyes move to look into Tyson´s. This makes Tyson a little surprised but since Kai doesn't react he won't either. It seems that Rei knows about the two of them and is accepting it.

"I hope you can come with us, Tyson." He tells him with a smile.

"I´ll do everything in my power to be there." Tyson replies when feeling how his strength returns t him. "Guys…I want you to win the championships. I won't be able to rest in peace if we give up half way, especially if you lose because of me."

Rei´s golden eyes widen at this and Max, Kai, Kenny and Hilary turn to look at him as well. Tyson knows that what he said might pressure them like never before but he knows that his team needs those words to fight on with their full power. He wants them to win both for his and their own sake, nothing like cancer is going to stand in the Bladebreaker´s way.

"We won't lose." Kai states the fact calmly.

Hilary starts to hand out bowls with rice to everyone with a small smile on her lips. The smile fades a bit when Tyson shakes his head at her meal but she accepts it as a part of his sickness. The girl smiles brightly.

"We have come this long together so why should we lose because of something like your sickness, Tyson? Don't you trust your team?"  
"What?"

"We're strong and wants to win just as much as you do." Kenny tells him with a small smile. "And since you're not around as much anymore some of us has gotten a little more popular…"

"Kenny!" Hilary smacks him in the head with a spoon.

"Hahahaa…" Tyson laughs softly. "You're right, I shouldn't be worrying about you. I trust you and I'm really grateful to have friends like you guys."

"Don't mention it." Rei tells him gently.

"We will be with you until the day you die, Tyson." Max tells him seriously. "And we'll think of you everyday after that day. You'll never be alone."

"…Thanks Max."

Feelings are once again threatening to make him weep in front of them all but he fights them as much as he can. The guys let him be, except for Kai who continues to hold his hand in a very comforting manner, when few tears leave his eyes. The cold hand against his warm skin feels so nice and Tyson finds himself leaning towards Kai´s offered comfort. He hides his tears at the crock of Kai´s neck and stays there while the rest continues to eat. Tyson knows that Rei probably knows about his relationship with Kai and doesn't have the power to care what the others think of his closeness with his boyfriend. Kai doesn't seem to mind the show of affection at all but there's almost nothing that makes him show if he's uncomfortable or not because he's strong enough to hide his feelings and to show them.

Things return to normal after a while and the gang eats, talks and hang out for several hours. It's only when the sun is setting that they think of returning home. That's also when Tyson remembers to ask Kenny about something.

"Kenny, do you know a way to contact Daichi?"  
"Eh… I do but it´ll take time and… why do you want to?"  
"You should know that."

* * *

"**I´m **home!"

Tyson enters the dojo and takes of his shoes before he walks further into the building. The voices from the kitchen tells him that his brother, father and grandfather is there discussing something. Tyson is not used to his home being this crowded but he likes it because his whole family is gathered. The only one he would want to be there is his mother and that´s impossible.

"Where have you been?"

Hiro comes to greet him in the hallway but the older Granger doesn't look too pleased with Tyson. Then younger man, that is still wearing Kai´s clothes, puts his own dry ones on the cupboard. He can feel his brother's eyes on him and how his irritation is growing. The two of them hasn't talked a lot since Hiro saw him kissing Kai and Tyson can feel how Hiro is about to explode.  
"I stayed over at Kai´s place then I spent the day with him and the Bladebreakers. Is something wrong with that?" Tyson asks him in a defensive manner while walking passed him by.

Hiro follows Tyson when he walks down the hallway towards his room, he won't let him get away so easily. This makes Tyson quicken his speed that makes his limping more clearer.

"Tyson about you and Kai…" Hiro starts.

"What about us?" Tyson interrupts as he watches Hiro over his shoulder.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to—"

Tyson punches the wall violently as he understands what Hiro is going to say. The impact hurt his knuckles and threatens to draw blood but he doesn't care. He sound makes Hiro flinch and the two of them stops walking. Tyson turns around quickly and glares at his brother with pure anger in his usually warm eyes.

"I love him, Hiro!" Tyson spits out. "I've never felt this way towards anyone before, not one of the girls I've seen made my heart beat faster and now when I've found happiness in all this shit you say it's _wrong_?!"

Hiro´s eyes narrow.

"Yeah I do. He's a guy and he's one of your best friends…and, if you haven't already forgotten about it, you're going to die Tyson!" Hiro yells back. "Your messing things up!"  
"I know about it dammit!" Tyson yells back angrily. "Kai knows about it too! My friends know about it, the whole world knows about it!! I'm gonna die ok?!"

Tyson´s angry expression changes suddenly as he loses his balance there in the hallway. Brown eyes grow wide as he falls towards the ground without any warning. Hiro rushes forward and grabs him before he touches the floor. Tyson breath comes out in pants due to anger, panic and stress and Hiro gets scared when he thinks that he can feel his brother's heart beating through his skin.

"Tyson!! Lie down!" Hiro tells him in a panicked manner.

Hiro forces Tyson to lie down on the floor but the younger man is resisting. His head is spinning and he can see starts but he still wants to show Hiro that he's wrong.

"I'm fine, don't touch me!"

"What's happening?"

Gramps and their father run down the hallway to meet the two brothers and both of them wears surprised and fearful expressions.  
"Dad, gramps… Tyson is having an attack!" Hiro yells.

"Should we call an ambulance?" His father asks in a loud voice.  
"NO!!" Tyson shouts. "I'm just dizzy… let me go and I´ll calm down."

"Are you alright?"  
"I need to sleep, please take me to my room."

Tyson sighs as his father grabs him and helps him away from Hiro. He has almost now power left so he's in the older man's arms all of a sudden and is carried bridal style to his room. Hiro reaches out for Tyson with regret on his face but the owner of the dojo stops him from following them.

"Hiro stay." Gamps tells him. "What happened?"  
"I only asked what his problem was, I mean he's making it all worse!" Hiro exclaims.  
"Don't you realise that you made Tyson hurt right now?" His grandfather tells him calmly.  
"What?" Hiro is surprised.  
"Let Tyson be. He knows about his situation better than any of us do so let him live his last days. Do you understand? Don't anger him or question his ways!" Gramps roars at him.

* * *

**Brown **eyes stare at the roof in silence and the only sound that breaks that silence is the ticking of the clock. The former champion can feel how the pills he just took starts to affect him and he gets sleepier. The clock is ticking ad Tyson wonders how many times he'll hear the ticking before he falls into a dream world he won't woke up from.

"Kai…" He murmurs. "Why can't Hiro understand?"

* * *

**AN; Woah they did it! I can't believe I wrote that… I'm new at writing lemons so don't be too harsh on me! Was it good or like, really really bad? **

**Only one month left for Tyson now. I'm gonna cry. **

**Please R&R**


	18. Number 3

**AN: Something really funny happened the other day. I was at my friend´s house and looked at her books and then I found the one I read when I first started writing this story. "Before I die" by Jenny Downham is a great book worth reading if you like bittersweet storlylines with love and sadness. Please read it one day! So I borrowed it and have a lot of motivation for this story now. I´m on vacation too so I might be able to update more frequently for a while. But I can´t promise anything.**

**I than everyone who reviewed and read the last chapter. Thanks. Your opinions and thoughts are really important to me!**

**Enjoy.

* * *

**

"**I** **want** to be put underground in a white coffin, not a fancy one…rather plain actually."

Tyson and Gramps are sitting in a small office of a company who prepares funerals. Some would call it a church. The two of them are talking about the future funeral with a man that looks very gloomy and dark but still greedy to gain money. Tyson makes sure to tell him that he wants a pretty normal funeral even though he´s a famous star because it seems like this man wants to make it a big event so he can brag later. The man frowns.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes." Tyson nods before he starts to explain how he wants his funeral in detail. "I want songs like _leave out all the rest, if today was your last day_ and _we live_ to be played either live or through a stereo of some sort."

"Let´s make that a live band." The man takes down notes.

Tyson pretends he didn´t hear that.

"Invite all my friends, the neighbors, the beyblade teams, DJ Jazzman… everyone I know." Tyson turns to look at his grandfather. "We can make a list of names for you or something."

The man nods before he asks: "And the fans?"

"I don´t want my funeral to be broadcasted but… the fans should get the chance to be there too."

"I´ll try to solve that one." The man smiles weakly.

"Thanks." Tyson returns it hesitantly."Everyone who wants to make a speech will get the chance to, but I want Gramps to stand there and tell about my journey from a kid to the man I´m today."

"Do you want the priest to read a piece from—"

"No, I´m not a believer actually."

Tyson almost smirks when he sees how offended the man got. He and Gramps prepares to leave and gets on the bus towards the dojo. People are staring at his bald head, he knows that, but it doesn´t bother him. Him being sick is old news around the neighborhood. But it seems that the people close to him are bothered by the stares and Gramps tells the ones looking at his grandson to stop being so disrespectful.

"Gramps, when I´m dead, don´t let that man touch me."

"Hahaha." He laughs.

Tyson smiles weakly as he leans towards the window, the sunshine makes his dark eyes look brighter. Even though his eyes are full of live is his body slowly losing the spirit. His thin, always tired, has no appetite, the headache is getting worse, his walking strangely and he has started to puke a lot. He wonders if the medicine is useless at times and have already stopped taking some pills. He yawns.

"I´m so tired…"

* * *

**Another** wish is solved and the to-do-list is slowly shrinking. The time that´s left is doing the same and no one can do anything about it. But Tyson is yet to face many hindrances before he can lay to sleep and one of them is arriving today. Daichi.

The team is waiting at the airport as the monkey man arrives. Who would have known that the young man who once was so scared of flights would use it without hesitation? A smile grows on Tyson´s face as he spots Diachi in the crowd and he waves his arm.

"Hi guys, long time no see!" He greets them with a grin.

"How are ya, dude?" Tyson asks him.

"All good. I´m soon done with my studies and all." He shrugs his shoulders.

"So you´ll be the next DJ?" Rei asks him.

"Of course. Ehm… where´s Kai?"

"He´s away from town." Kenny informs him of.

"You never know when and if he´ll show up, I guess." Tyson murmurs.

Kai left town to get something sorted out, he said and Tyson misses him like crazy. What surprises the Japanese man is that he no longer only miss his presence and kisses but also the feeling of being united with him physically. He misses the sex as well and it makes him so flustered, in a good way. The memories of their first night together haunts his dreams and makes his longing for the other´s return even worse.

Daichi frowns as he notices Tyson´s blush.

"So Tyson why did you call me over so suddenly?"

"Let´s talk about that later…now we need to celebrate!"

"Tyson…why are you bald?"

Daichi can be so slow sometimes, so slow that it hurts.

Everyone knows that you can´t run from it and Tyson eventually told Daichi of his sickness. The youngest member of the team took it very badly and got angry with him. Almost blaming Tyson for being sick to make himself feel better. He even ended up crying, hitting Tyson as hard as he could that almost made the others step in but he accepted the punches until the redhead fell to his knees due to sadness instead.

People handle pain differently.

"I´ll miss you." He whispers

"Daichi…" Tyson swallows his saliva. "I want you to be here when I go."

The two of them looks the other in the eye before they share a tight hug.

* * *

**The **cancer is quickly progressing and making Tyson step closer to his own death. The thing that has changed the most is his energy, everything has become harder to do. Moving has become a burden and being awake is even harder. It started some days ago when he slept longer. Then he slept for over 24 hours and it´s still escalating. The day when he´ll fall into a deep sleep before dying is waiting for him around the corner.

_Getting out of bed has become a burden.

* * *

_

**Tyson **flinches as the door opens and his blonde team mate enter his room all of a sudden. Max sits down on his bed without a word but Tyson sees how the big blue eyes of his regard him with worry. Tyson forces himself to sit up in the bed and groans tiredly. Max just looks at him in silence for a while before he starts to speak.

"What are you doing?"

"What?"

"You won´t leave your room anymore?"

Tyson has been spending a lot of time in bed lately and his friends seem to have noticed. He´s constantly tired or sleeping so getting out of bed is almost out of the question every day. It doesn´t mean he don´t want to but he´s afraid to faint in public or anything worse. He doesn´t want to bother his friends any longer. Hiro and Gramps has been very worried about him due to his sudden change and has tried to get him to do something but to no avail. The fact that Kai has been out of reach for some days has also made the young man less joyful.

"Did Gramps call you?" Tyson sighs.

"Are you in pain?" Max changes subject.

"No." Tyson sighs. "I´m just tired."

"I see."

Max looks sad but he swallows his saliva and smiles a bright but slightly forced smile. "Let´s go out." He tells Tyson, urging him to get out of bed and hang out. A shiver runs down Tyson´s spine as he notices the desperate plea in his best friend´s voice. He´s hurting Max.

"Why?" Tyson´s throat is dry.

"I want to show you this new move I learned yesterday. C´mon, I know you´re curious…" Max pleas.

"You´re right; I am." Tyson gives in.

Tyson forces himself to sit up and Max is quickly there to help him get out of bed. No matter how much Tyson wants it to go smoothly it´s to no avail. He still needs the support of Max to stand up and walk and it bothers him greatly. He can´t complain though because something in Max´s expression tells Tyson the blonde would start crying if he told him about his pain.

They meet a happy face in the hallway on their way out.

"Oh Max, what did you do to make him get out of bed?" Gramps seem very pleased.

_It was Gramps who called Max to come… _Tyson sweatdrops anime style.

"The usual." Max smiles gently. "I´ll borrow him for some hours, I promise we won´t do anything reckless."

"I don´t need a babysitter." Tyson complains with a hint of a smile on his face as Hiro helps him to get into the wheelchair they got some days ago.

The two of them ends up sitting side by side under the bridge where they always practice beyblade. Tyson is happy that he didn´t have to walk like Max because he´s already tired even though it´s the blonde that have pushed him all the way down there. The soft breeze touches them gently and the sound of the current can be heard from the river in front of them. The sound of birds and childrens´ laughter can be heard from a distance.

Max spent about one hour to train before he sat down and Tyson thought a lot while watching the blonde blade. Max is in good shape: he´s both stronger and faster then when Tyson last saw him let It rip. Something tells the champion that he wouldn´t be able to beat his best friend in the dish, not even if he got back the strength he had before he got sick. It doesn´t bother him as much anymore but something else makes his stomach turn.

"I wonder what I should do." Tyson says out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"Dragoon. What should I do? Let him go?" Tyson´s voice starts to waver. "No, Ozuma would kill me."

Max looks at him for a while before he ponders on it. He would go crazy if he was forced to leave Draciel but he still can´t put himself in Tyson´s shoes to come up with a solution. Death is something Max doesn't like to think of and the thought of him dying is foreign to him. The thought of his best friend leaving him in about two weeks is also a foreign thought to him. _What would happen to his bitbeast?_ Draciel is not a tool for him to use nor to give away so the only thing he things sound nice is that the bitbeast chooses what to do.

"Dragoon has a mind of his own so I bet he´ll know what to do when it´s time." Is Max´s conclusion.

The blond turns to face Tyson when he gets no response and finds out that he is fast asleep. He would have thought he fainted if he didn´t snore.

"Oh, he fell asleep."

Max smiles as he gets up on his feet and starts to push the wheelchair towards the dojo. Tyson doesn´t notice this and continues stay asleep as they return home.

* * *

"**You**´re awake."

A voice, that isn´t Max´s, breaks the silence as Tyson´s eyes flutter open. Tyson looks up since he feels very disoriented due to the change and it takes some time for him to understand that Kai is sitting next to his bed. A small blush gets visible on Tyson´s pale face and his heart starts beating a tiny bit faster in his chest. He hasn´t been able to see Kai much after they had sex and he can´t lie and say he didn´t miss him. Tyson puts his longing aside as he starts to question the situation.

"How long have I been…?"

"Two days."

"I was with Max." Tyson states the fact.

"You fell asleep and he took you home, we´ve all been worried about you when you didn´t wake up."

Tyson´s gaze turns blurry after a while of silence and he enters a world of thoughts. Kai looks at him intensively, wondering what is going through the man´s thought in that moment. He looks tired but still so very alive to Kai. Tyson´s sudden request takes him by surprise.

"Come and lay with me."

Kai´s red eyes regard Tyson in a way that reminds the Japanese man of fire and ice mixed together. Those red eyes are warm but still very cautious as he gets up from the chair and moves closer to the bed. He takes of his jacket before he joins Tyson under sheets, a shiver runs down his spine as the shorter male´s skin connects with his. Tyson is freezing cold. A frown makes Kai look dangerous as he silently puts his arms around Tyson and pulls him towards himself. A deep sigh leaves Tyson´s lips as he leans towards Kai, letting him support his weight. _Kai is so warm. _Brown eyes shut close as he leans closer to him. It feels so nice to have Kai´s strong and protective arms around him while knowing that he holds the skeleton he is without hesitation or disgust.

"What are you doing?" Kai breathes quietly. "Don´t go back to sleep."

"Listening to your heartbeat." He sighs contently. "I won´t, I promise."

Kai can´t help but be a little tense since he is being intimate with Tyson in the house where Hiro, his biggest hater, lives. He doesn´t even want to think of what the older Granger would do or say if he saw the two of them like this. _Why care?_ Kai let´s his lips touch Tyson´s forehead in a gentle kiss. _Hiro isn´t worth a thought if he doesn´t even think about accepting our relationship. _

"How was your trip?" Tyson murmurs against his chest, it tickles.

"It was alright." Kai answers with a grunt. "How have you been?"

"Sleeping, I guess. All neutral."

"Right."

"I missed you."

A silence spread between them as Kai grasps what Tyson just said. He was away a short time and the other missed him. Kai can´t say _I missed you too_ because the words are hard to find but he tightens his hold on Tyson and kisses his forehead one more time. The smaller man squirms in his hold and turns to look up at him with a smile. They share a kiss, lips touching very carefully. Kai grunts in a content manner at the touch but doesn´t deepen the kiss as he would want because he knows Tyson is too tired.

Eyes flutter close as Tyson relaxes while listening to Kai´s heart and breathing. It doesn´t take long before his own matches the other male´s pattern perfectly. A small smile grows as Tyson notices how Kai´s heart skips a beat as he put his arms around his waist. _I can really use a wish right now._ Dull eyes open. _To stay like this with Kai a little longer._

_What would have happened if I went through the surgery back then?_

Regret. It´s creating a black hole inside of him, eating him from the inside. What if this could have been prevented? The he and Kai would live happily ever after. _No, who knows if I would have fallen in love with him if I was still healthy? _ Tyson shivers at the thought because he understands how eerie and foreign it is to him. He can´t imagine himself not loving the cold Russian captain.

"Tyson?"

It seems that Kai noticed his shiver.

"I´m fine."

* * *

**AN: a pretty short chapter but I felt like I would ruin the mood if I wrote more. Hope you liked it. As you all know... this story is soon complete. There´s a poll at my profile (if I managed to do that right) where you can tell me what you would want me to write next. Please vote! And...  
**

**...Please review!**


	19. His last wishes

**AN: sorry for the long wait (as always) I´ve been busy and the fact that this story is coming to an end makes me hesitant to write on it. I want to finish the story…but I don´t want it to end. I hope you´ll enjoy this chapter even though it´s quite short.**

**I also want to thank everyone that reads this story, reading your comments really makes me feel happy and proud over this. If I could I would give you all one big hug for staying with me for such a long time!**

**Enjoy! And warning, strong yaoi!  


* * *

**

"**Tyson**…"

Kai leans backwards as Tyson charges at him with his gentle but lustful touches. The smaller man is weak due to his heavy dosing of medicine and Kai could easily push him away if he wanted to. _Wanted to_ are the key words here. A soft breath leaves Kai´s pale lips as warm fingers touch his stomach sensually. The heat makes him sigh once again and a hand comes to lie on Tyson´s neck encouragingly. _How can he make me feel this way?_ Intense eyes slightly misty due to his raging emotions close as he decides to give in and enjoy Tyson´s caresses.

"Mhn…"

When Kai opens his eyes again he finds himself staring straight into Tyson´s brown ones. They stare at each other for a moment in silence before Kai gets too impatient and pulls the younger man towards him. The Japanese man´s skinny body falls onto Kai´s since Tyson has no strength to either refuse or steady himself and their bodies comes together. A loud grunt leaves Tyson´s lips just before Kai cuts it off with his mouth. Tongues battling and saliva is exchanged.

The two of them are alone since the rest of the team went home after a calm movie night at Kai´s place. Everyone was surprised over Kai´s suggestion to hang out at his place but no one complained about it. To be honest, he used it to lure Tyson to his apartment and make him sleep over. Kai can be selfish at times but Tyson don´t seem to care anyways because he´s selfish too.

The two of them continues to exchange kisses, saliva and caresses until they both reach a point of no turning back. Kai eyes Tyson cautiously as he realizes that the bulge in his boxers won´t go away without being released properly. No matter how much Kai wants to sleep with him he can´t ignore how terrible his boyfriend looks. Will he be able to survive sex? A strange thought but so eerily real. Tyson´s visible ribcage moves up and down quickly due to the excitement and since he knows why Kai hesitates he´s the one to pull down the other man´s zipper.

"Tyson…" Kai murmurs gently with a hint of pure lust.

Tyson smiles and that's all it takes for Kai to let go of his worries and continue with their erotic acts. Their clothes are soon lying on the cold apartment floor while the two young men moves from the living room to Kai´s bedroom without letting the other go. A loud grunt leaves the younger man´s lips as Kai pushes him down onto the bed; a grunt is all it takes for Kai to turn hesitant again. Red eyes stare at Tyson and he is indeed out of breath.

"Are you alright?" Kai murmurs into his hair, licking his ear… sucking on his earlobe.

"Yes, j-just… overwhelmed." Tyson grins happily. "Please, don´t stop half way."

Kai can´t help but blush at the request and Tyson notices since they´re lying cheek to cheek. The warm and raging blush makes Kai want to hide for a while but Tyson makes him look him in the eye. The seriousness in Tyson´s gaze erases all hesitation for the second time.

"I…" Tyson looks at him. "I want you inside of me…now."

Kai can´t breathe. _Oh my God. Do he know how damn sexy he is? _Kai wants to hit himself for thinking dirty thoughts about him but he can´t when he realizes he is doing dirty stuff to him at this moment. And he likes it. He is addicted to the feel of Tyson´s skin, the taste of his mouth, the tightness of his ass around him but above all the way the former champion looks at him during intercourse. Brown eyes staring at him, captivating him, enchanting him until there´s no way back.

"C´mon Kai…" Tyson urges him on. "Give it to me."

And he will indeed give it to him. Kai let his tongue travel down Tyson´s body until he reaches his love´s private area. Tyson shivers in his arms as Kai touches him boldly before he moves in closer and enters him with one swift motion of his hips.

"Ah….!"

Tyson can´t help but squeeze Kai due to the bliss of the feeling of being united again. The closeness drives Kai crazy and he is quick to start thrusting his hips against him both giving in to his desire and giving pleasure to the Japanese man beneath him.

* * *

**Kai** wakes up slowly as he feels how something is touching his face almost teasingly. Red eyes flutter open and the Russian sighs as he notices that it´s Kio that´s attacking one if his pillows making his tail touch his face from time to time. Kai gives the cat one last glance before he decides to return to sleep. Red eyes open quickly.

"Tyson!" Kai breathes out loudly.

Kai bolts out of bed as he stares at the bed where Tyson was sleeping some hours ago but the man is nowhere to be seen. His body, that was warm and sweaty before, turns ice-cold at the sight of the empty bed. _Where is he? Did something happen?_ Kai is standing in the doorway when he recives the response he was waiting for.

"…Yeah?" A voice echoes from the kitchen. "I´m in the kitchen."

Kai feels how all of his worries fade away at the sound of Tyson´s voice and he approaches the source of the sound with a hint of a smile on his face. He finds Tyson standing in the kitchen preparing some breakfast while looking like an angel. Red eyes regarding him for a moment longer only to analyze if he is ok, if yesterday wasn´t too much for him.

"Mornin." Kai greets him as he sits down at the table.

"Hey." Tyson greets him with a loving smile.

Kai smirks at him as he leans against the wall while merely listening to how Tyson talks about nothing in particular. If he didn´t know better Kai could have guessed that everything is alright. That all his nightmares about Tyson dying are merely nightmares.

"It feels like it´s ok now." Tyson smiles but Kai notices the hint of sadness in his expression.

"What is ok?" Kai wonders, maybe he missed it since he spaced out a bit.

Tyson turns quiet for a while as he puts the food into bowls and serves it to himself and Kai in silence. He sits down on the other side of the table but flinches as his but hits the hard surface of the chair. Kai can´t help but smirk at it. Tyson sighs at him and shakes his head: he doesn´t think it´s funny at all.

"To die." Tyson continues. "Maybe it´s ok to go now."

Kai´s red eyes narrow as all of his worried returns to him, almost taking his ability to breathe away from him just like that. His dream of everything being ok lasted for some seconds only and it feels so hard for him to return to reality. Tyson puts some rice into his mouth and chews slowly. Kai stares at him while frowning.

"What the _hell_ do you mean?" Kai seems calm but he is not.

Tyson flinches by the sound of Kai´s voice because he understands that Kai is angry with him and at his choice of his words. The Japanese man looks bothered as he tries to come up with a way to explain his thoughts to his lover.

"I´ve obtained a lot in a short period of time and I´m happy. I sound really selfish now, don´t I?" He looks down at the food. "I feel that I´ve been using you but I hope you know that it isn´t true at all. I love you."

Kai avert his eyes and finds himself losing his appetite. Kai knew this was coming but he still couldn´t prepare for it and he hates himself for being so emotional about it.

"I don´t want you to get hurt Kai so we don´t need to say anything about our relationship to the others nor the media. I know that if they knew your career would be ruined... I know my brother enough to say that he won´t tell."

Even though Kai knows that it´s the best solution does his chest hurt painfully. There´s no point in telling the world that he and Tyson are lovers when Tyson soon will disappear, forever. How can he believe in anything when no one but himself will know about it? Well Hiro and Rei know about his love for Tyson but still…it just hurts and Kai is confused. He doesn´t care about his career not when Tyson is involved.

"There´s only two more things left on my list." Tyson changes subject.

"Tell me about it." Kai answers and he is surprised over that he sounds pretty calm.

"I want you guys to win the Championships."

"You know we will." Kai smirks.

"If course." Tyson smiles back at him, happy that Kai returned to his old self.

"And the last thing?" Kai urges him on.

"That Dragoon finds a new blader."

"That can be hard, a bit beast doesn´t randomly chose a master…"

"I know but I won´t you to keep it for me until Dragoon himself finds that person, could you do that for me?"

"You don´t have to ask."

Kai looks up when Tyson suddenly touches his hand. Red eyes regard how fingers, slightly more tanned than his, caresses his knuckles lovingly. He can´t hate Tyson for acting like he does because deep within Kai knows he´s doing the right thing and that he has to get over it. The only question is if he is strong enough to recover from a heartbreak like that. Kai grabs Tyson´s hand and holds it in his firmly before he leans forward and gives him a short kiss on the lips.

"You taste like rice…" Kai complains.

"Just the way you like it right?"

Tyson´s laughter fills the emptiness in Kai´s apartment, and the emptiness growing inside his heart.

* * *

**Things** moved forward quickly and Tyson fell ill just a couple of days after his stay at Kai´s. it was almost as if he caught a small could that slowed him down until he just stopped functioning. He grew weaker both in body and mind until he fell asleep. Everyone first thought he was just tired but no matter how hard they tried to wake him up he showed no signs of life other than his breathing.

It was Gramps who first realized something was wrong when Tyson didn´t get up after a while of snoozing like he used to. McKain arrived and checked him finally saying he has reached the final step in the disease and will pass away any time now. He is now too weak to even stay awake now.

Everyone handled the situation differently but since almost all of them knew that this would happen there were no major surprises. The Bladebreakers rushed to the dojo when the news got to them and they all stayed there until they had to sleep so they wouldn´t get sick themselves. The world is starting to grieve already and the dying star´s face is covering news paper. Everyone is counting days, hours, minutes…seconds until he will pass away.

A certain Granger stands in the doorway regarding how one of his dying younger brother´s friends sits by his bed crying. All of the other members of the team already left but he stayed. He must be hungry, in need for a shower and some sleep but the man hasn´t moved a limb since he came. Hiro who would have said something harsh stays quiet while he regards the rare show of emotion on the other man´s face. Even though he hates him he can´t make himself force him to leave Tyson´s side.

"Are you…crying, Kai?" Hiro asks him with disbelief mixed with dread.

The said Russian turns to look at his beloved´s older brother with a pair of teary eyes but his gaze is more cold and intimidating than ever. Kai is crying since the overwhelming pain and sadness left him no choice and Hiro seems to be surprised over the emotions shown on the captain´s face. Hiro looks at him in silence for a while as he swallows the rude remarks he first wanted to throw at the man. _Do Kai really love my brother? _He wonders as he eyes how Kai returns to look at Tyson´s face. _He looks so tender and sad ._It makes Hiro hurt as well and he is about to leave when Kai finally speaks up.

"I never wanted it to…" Kai inhales deeply so he´ll be able to keep his voice clear from wavering. "…end this way. I didn´t want to fall for him but it just happened and Tyson didn´t let me ignore it. He didn´t let me push him away like I did to all the others…"

Hiro don´t know what to say but he stays to hear him out. He has never seen Kai act this way before and it scares him. It makes the fact that his brother is dying even more real than it is. It´s so dam obvious that he is at the brink of death right now but Hiro can't accept it.

"I agreed and …look what our relationship did to me…" Kai is choking on his own pain.

Hiro stands there, without knowing what to do or say, while Kai breaks down next to Tyson´s bed. A deep and pained sigh leaves Hiro´s before he prepares to leave once again. The man stops in the doorway and looks at the Russian over his shoulder.

"He can still hear you so don´t cry. Be strong for his sake." Hiro tells Kai before he leaves him be. Tears fall down his face the second he puts his foot outside the door.

Kai looks into the distance while his tears makes their way down his cheeks and falls. It´s hard to breathe but he forces his gasp for air down as he looks at Tyson´s peaceful face. _He´s still alive. _Kai curses himself as he holds Tyson´s hand tightly. _Tyson__ hasn't given up yet and neither will I. I´m such a coward._

"I´m sorry." Kai murmurs into his boyfriend´s ear. "…For being this weak. Just stay with me a little longer. We still haven't won the competition yet."

Maybe Tyson knew his time was up last time they saw each other. It would explain why he was so eager to…make love…and tell him about his final wishes. Kai exhales painfully. He would have done things differently if he knew that, he would have held him longer, he wouldn´t have let him prepare breakfast like that and he…Kai cruses himself mentally. _He wouldn´t have let him suffer all alone._ Another deep breath leaves his pale lips before he leans closer to Tyson and plants a soft kiss to his lips. The warmth is still there and it calms him down.

"This list…" Kai murmurs to himself looking at a list Gramps gave him when he got here, murmuring something that Tyson told him to. "I´m going to complete it for you, that is the only thing I can do."

Tyson wipes his eyes dry of tears before he puts the piece of paper into his pocket and grabs Tyson´s blade, looks at it with a fire burning in his eyes, and leaves.

* * *

**Kai **is here so why can´t I reach out to him? Why is my body so damn heavy? Why is he crying like that? My emotions are unbalanced and a shiver runs down my spine as I hear how the man I love whispers my name in that voice, full of pain. He is touching me, I can feel it but I can´t do anything to make him realize that I´m still here like Hiro said. I want to tell him that he doesn´t need to cry over me. That I´m ok and ready to die.

_Kai…_

I´m ready to leave this life behind but I´m not sure Kai is ready to let me go.

* * *

**Golden** eyes returns to life as Rei notices the silhouette of Kai walking towards him. The neko-jin looks tired: his hair is in a mess, his eyes are swollen and he is paler than usual but he still greets Kai with a smile when he arrives at their appointed training ground.

"Hey, you came."

"Why sound so surprised?" Kai comments sourly.

Rei´s smile fades when he notices the hoarseness in Kai´s voice. The Chinese man sees through Kai´s façade of indifference yet again and he is quick to realize that the Russian is in worse shape that he let´s on. He, himself, has been crying his eyes out over the fact that Tyson is in a coma but he wonders if his pain is close to Kai´s who will lose a good friend, a rival and a lover at the same time.

"We have to win the final battle against the Blitzkreig Boys." Kai tells them loudly. "We have to."

"Kai, are you –?"

"Get back to practice Rei." He interrupts him coldly before turning to the others. "Max you go up against Rei in a match _now_."

"Yes captain Kai!" Max forces a smile to his lips.

"What about me?"

Kai turns around to lay his eyes on Daichi. The short man stands there in front of him looking like an angry monkey ready for some intense action. The Russian is surprised over his presence since he didn´t fight with them during the tournament but he appreciate it.

"Daichi." Kai utters his name. "I need you to fight me with all you´ve got. I need to release some steam."

"Yessir!" Daichi agrees immediately and attaches his beyblade to his launcher. "I won´t lose to you."

Kai isn´t ignorant: he has seen the swollen faces of his team mates but doesn´t give a shit about it. They need to get over it so they can use their pain and sadness to grow stronger. They won´t be able to beat Tala and the others in time if they let their feelings take over. The Russian stares at Daichi with a growing smirk on his lips.

"Let´s do this for TYSON!" Daichi shouts as he and Kai starts their fight.

It brings a smile to his, Max´s and Rei´s faces and all of them let it rip with all their might. Everything is coming to an end. Tyson´s life and the competition and they will make sure to make it the best end in history. No one will be able to forget what happened: no one!

"Yeah, let´s do this for the champ!" Kai hears Max yell.

"YEAAAAAAH!" He growls as he charges at Daichi without any hesitation. "Daichi, you are going down!"

* * *

**AN: next chapter is the tournament. Will the Bladebreakers make it? Or will the Blitzkreig boys overpower them and use their pain to their advantage?**

**Stay tuned to find out!**

**Please read and review, it WILL make me work faster. Thank you. **


	20. I made a promise

**AN: this is the final chapter of"the time that is left" but don´t worry, there will be a short epilogue added explaining things further. I´ve already planned it so it shouldn´t take long but I should never say never. I tend to say I´ll update quickly but it´ll still take months… So be patient with me! **

**Once again: thank you for your support! I sincerely wish all of you good luck in life and that you, who have faced the hardships presented in the story, will find the strength to continue on and turn sadness into strength. Cancer is a sickness that gets more and more common and sometimes I, and many others, find myself surrounded by it. All we can do is hope that someday soon they´ll find cures for all forms of cancer so no one will have to suffer from it. **

**While reading this, please listen to the songs **** like ****"Konayuki" by**** Remioromen and "only human" by K two songs from the drama "one litre of tears"**** that I hightly recommend to you who likes to get touched and not afraid to cry. First episode was ok but then I just cried…. **

"_**This disease, why did it choose me? Fate. I want to make a time machine to go back to the past. If it wasn't for this disease, maybe I could have succeeded in love." – Aya Kito**_

**Now, enjoy…**

* * *

**Kai **feels strange as he leads his team through the corridor towards the arena they will be using in tomorrow´s big battle against his former team: the Blitzkreig Boys. It´s not the fact that he will have to fight his old team mates that bother him, nor their anger for his so called betrayal, it´s the need to win that makes his heart feel heavy. He has never prepared to fight a battle for someone else´s sake more than his own before but this time he will fight only for Tyson. He wants to do a lot more for his beloved person but wining is the only thing he can do right now and it hurts to feel so powerless. Kai is able to hide beneath his calm façade like always but the turmoil inside can´t be ignored.

_I need to fulfill my promise while he´s still breathing ._Red eyes stare at the door in front of him but Kai can´t see anything, he is lost in thought. _ I can´t fail him, not this time. _He grits his teeth.

This will be the last time he launches Dranzer in this kinds of places, he won´t ever compete again. Kai never wanted it in the first place. He was supposed to quit Beyblading all together after they stopped Voltaire years ago but it was Tyson who kept him going, forced him to join a team he betrayed over and over again. How can he continue when Tyson is gone? Did he love him from the beginning, and was that the reason why he continued with a sport he actually don´t like that much? Sure he is a skilled blader and loves the power that gives him but… without Tyson… the sport won´t be the same anymore.

Golden cat-like eyes narrow as Rei witness how his captain clenches his fists firmly. The Chinese man frowns at the sight of Kai´s tense back but he stays silent. Nothing he says will do any difference to Kai. They have a goal: to beat the crap out of the Russian team and that´s it. They can´t lose, that´s not an option. Rei has decided to fight with all he´s got and not let his sadness ruin the chances of victory. Kai would kill him if he made their team lose, but not before he would kill himself for failing Tyson. Rei looks at the ground a short moment before he nods to himself, raises his head with a new strength in his eyes. BladeBreakers won´t lose tomorrow or any other day in the future.

Max and Daichi walks in silence for a change. Both of them looks quite gloomy and spaced out. The half American´s eyes are red and swollen after a night of crying but his gaze has turned strong due to his determination to win tomorrow. One of his best friends is dying and they all made a promise they can´t turn their backs on. Max bites his lip and the pain helps him relax a little. There´s a lot at stake but he won´t allow that to affect anything. Max is stronger than ever. Daichi is calmer than ever seen before and that´s quite a deal. He is regretting the way he treated Tyson when they first met years ago. He was an ass, a brat who didn´t do anything but to bother the older man since he wanted Tyson´s title. Who cares about tiles anyway? Daichi snorts. He didn´t even get the chance to properly thank him for what he has done. It hurts. The short boy hits the wall but the sound of it doesn´t surprise the others since they understand.

"Fuck this shit…!" Daichi mutters under his breath.

The only woman in the group smiles a crooked smile at Daichi and touches his shoulder. She let´s go and her eyes turns wet by tears. Hilary is sobbing soundly and Kenny tries to comfort her in a way for him to avoid facing his own inner feelings. The young woman remembers how Tyson was her first crush, how he saved her from danger and how he always managed to piss her off. Kenny sighs to himself as his cheeks also get wet by tears.

Tyson doesn´t deserve to die, but who has the power to decide who deserves to live or die?

* * *

**Red eyes** look on the seemingly sleeping form of Tyson from the doorway for a while before Kai slowly enters the room. The beyblader´s room is dead silent, except the sound of the ticking clock on the wall, and Kai doesn´t break that peaceful silence just yet. The Russian sits down at a chair next to Tyson´s bed as he continues to simply stare at the man in front of him. You could think that he was merely sleeping especially since he looks so calm and peaceful.

Tyson´s skin is pale as a ghost´s but there are several blue- grayish- bruises on his bald head. He´s bleeding under the skin, and the redness under his nose tells Kai he had a nosebleed recently. The bleeding is a result of organs that stopped functioning properly, his body is shutting down slowly, painfully. How can someone look peaceful when looking like beat up gangster? Kai sighs. Someone said that Tyson can´t feel the pain anymore due to the heavy drugs they shove down his throat but Kai doubts it. He knows Tyson must be aware of what´s happening even though he´s in a coma. A big and warm hand takes a hold of the smaller and colder one gently as if to make sure that he still is there with him. Kai´s thumb strokes Tyson´s knuckles softly.

"Tyson, we´re gonna win tomorrow." Kai´s voice sounds hollow.

The ticking of the clock grows louder. Kai frowns as he closes his eyes and focus on the skin to skin contact and how it affects him. He can still feel the electricity the contact gave when they made love but that thrilling feeling has been exchanged with a heavy pressure over his chest, over his heart. A low grunt leaves his lips as he opens his eyes again. Why did it turn out like this? Is there something he could have done differently? Kai´s breathing turns uneven.

"Tyson…" He utters the name carefully, his voice is unstable. "Can you hear me?"

The sound of the clock is like the sound of a hard rock concert to Kai now. The silence is killing him, the lack of response from his love is murdering him inside out and this pain is enough to make him, the almighty Hiwatari Kai, tremble like a child. Kai bites the inside of his cheek hard to make himself focus on what´s important instead of his fear.

"I´ll lead your team into battle tomorrow." Kai forces the words out of his mouth while breathing heavily. "They´re all looking forward to fight."

The BladeBreakers has always been Tyson´s team even though Kai is the leader. He was never the one who cheered them on, he never sacrificed anything for them or was proud over being their captain.

"Tala won´t hold back. It´ll be an amazing battle." His lips tremble as he grins. "We´ll be fighting for you so be sure to lend your strength."

Still no response.

Kai´s grin fades quickly. "…You can hear me, right?"

Silence once again. Kai wonders if he should give up and save himself for a moment. Eyes widen as the hand he´s holding squeezes back suddenly. Kai´s body turns warm. He loses his ability to breathe or even think. Kai squeezes Tyson´s hand as a true smile grows bigger on his pale lips while those red and intimidating eyes of him gets misty by tears. Save himself? No, he isn´t a coward.

"I…Love you…so badly…" Kai chokes on his tears.

Kai leans to rest his head at his boyfriend´s chest to hide his tears and quiet sobbing. All these emotions make him feel so foolish, weak and confused but it also makes him feel alive. He never cried like this before he and Tyson became close, never. The change scared him at first and almost made him abandon Tyson when he needed him the most but as they grew closer Kai understood that when he felt like this Tyson would be there to support him. That made it okay to shed tears, it made it ok to lower his guard and open up his heart. He won´t regret it even though it will cause him intense pain.

"Stay alive a little longer for me, ok?" Kai murmurs. "I want to show you the trophy later."

* * *

**The day** the Japanese team will face the Russians has arrived and everyone is preparing for the showdown. The crowd is already cheering, their voices echoes through the hallways, making the ground vibrate faintly. Rei, Max, Kenny, Daichi and Hilary are all gathered in the BladeBreakers locker room, sitting in silence in their wait for Kai to tell them of today´s strategy. The said man is sitting crossed legged at a bench a little further away from the others. He is lost in thought.

They were surrounded by cameramen when entering the arena and all of them asked the same thing. _Where is Tyson? How ill is he? Is he dead…?_ It was terrible for them to keep their poker faces while being assaulted by seemingly heartless people who only know how to make money out of other´s misery. _Will the BladeBreakers be able to stand a chance without their ace blader?_ Kai touches his forehead as he tries to avoid thinking about it too much. He needs to be focused on the task at hand.

"…" Max bites his lip. "Kai?"

Kai looks up and his eyes soften as he notices Max worried expression. It is his fault that his team is nervous and unstable at the moment and Kai decides to try to do something about it. The bench squeaks as Kai gets up on his feet and several pair of eyes turns towards him. He has to be calm, composed and confident because that will give his friends comfort and support. They need him. Kai looks at them as he realizes that he needs them as well. A grin appears on his lips.

"We all know what´s at stake here." He starts in a confident voice. "We´ll do this as we always do: win."

Max smiles in relief at Kai´s words and they all hear how Kenny starts his laptop to help Kai come up with a good strategy for the match. It´s like their worry finally fades away a little, enough for them to prepare for the battle as they usually would.

"I believe that the Blitzkreig Boys will send in Spencer, Bryan and Tala so we have to decide who faces who. " Kenny explains logically.

"I want to face Bryan." Rei is quick to tell him, taking initiative. "We need to settle some things."

Kai looks at the neko-jin and nods after a second of silence. The grin on his lips grows. The last time Rei fought Bryan he was sent to the hospital so the Chinese man has his reasons for wanting to face the pale skinned Russian once more.

"I´ll fight Tala." Kai tells them.

No one says anything about Kai´s statement because all of them already decided it would be best if the two of them faced each other in the third round.

"Who will go up against Spencer?" Kai continues.

"Maybe it´s better if Daichi takes the first round because both my and Spencer´s bit beast are water creatures. A fight between Draciel and Seaborg might take too long."

"Yeah I agree." Daichi comments loudly and bitterly. "I want to fight for Tyson just as you fought for him when I was ignorant of all this…shit."

Everyone turns quiet as they turn their eyes to him. The earnestness Daichi expresses is new to them and it makes their respect for him grow.

"Are you ok with that Max?" Hilary asks him since the blonde seldom gives up a chance to play.

"Yes, of course." He smiles. "Because we do need to win this one. Losing is not an option and if I have to step back for us to do that I will. I´m somewhat happy that I don´t … need to blade…"

Max smiles sadly but smiles as Hilary gives him a hug. He is a very gentle man.

"Then, let´s do this!"

* * *

**Daichi **managed to startle Spencer enough to almost beat him but the larger, stronger and more experienced man won in the end. The feeling of dread made the Japanese team almost give up until Rei told them he wasn´t planning to lose. His determination made the team believe in him. Rei won over Bryan and was able to show the violent man that he isn´t as weak as he was when they met in Russia years ago. Bryan didn´t seem to mind the loss too much since Rei actually made him bleed. He is wicked, that Bryan. Rei couldn´t help but offer him his hand in a friendly handshake after their battle.

Now it´s up to Kai. If he wins they´ll get the title and his promise to Tyson will be protected but if he lose… he will never be able to forgive himself. Kai has never fought for anyone but himself nor had someone depending on him like this before and this new pressure makes him feel strangely nervous. Nervousness has never been a problem before. Kai shakes his head.

"You can do it Kai." Max tells the older man as if he read his mind. "You´re not alone out there."

"Yeah." Rei grins. "We´re all in this together man. Don´t doubt it."

Kai smirks at them all as he thinks how he would normally roll his eyes at a speech like that. But things changed and he finds his team mate´s words actually comforting for once. He shows his appreciation by nodding.

"I´m not in need of a group hug, guys." Kai tells them while smirking. "So keep your distance."

"Awwww…." Hilary giggles.

All of them look at each other with warmth in their eyes before Kai nods again and approaches the beyblade dish where his opponent is already waiting for him. Ice-cold blue eyes stare him down but Kai doesn´t let it take away his newfound strength in his friends' and his own ability to win.

"Throw in the towel while you still can, Hiwatari." Is Tala´s greeting.

"Hn." Kai snorts at Tala´s behavior. "I have never lost to you before and I won´t break that habit today."

"Always so confident." Tala´s gaze intensifies.

Kai glares back at him since Tala speaks as if he believes he knows him well. _Tala knows nothing about me._ The red eyed enigma attaches his Dranzer blade to his launcher as the countdown begins. He knows that Tala has been pissed about the fact that he decided to stay with the BladeBreakers during this tournament and that it might become a problem during this battle. A problem he must overcome.

"Get ready…" The DJ announces. " 1…2…3…Let it rip!"

A grunt leaves his dry lips as Kai launches his blade with all his might. He isn´t holding anything back like he usually do when facing someone because he can´t risk losing. Especially not now when his whole team is depending on him. Not when Tyson is waiting for Death to greet him from the other side. Kai growls as Wolborg crashes into Dranzer while using a wall of ice to shield himself. Tala is good at defense while Kai has an all round blade that is average at attacks, defense and endurance so Kai has to step up.

A smirk grows in his lips as he realizes how he can beat his former team mate in a way he never thought of before. Fire plus ice equals water which is something Dranzer can´t stand for long but if Kai uses enough heat to make that water turn into steam….Red eyes narrow. _I just have to use more power, then Tala´s attacks will be useless!_

"Dranzer!" He yells, telling the ancient beast to heaten up his attacks.

Blue flames start to surround the two Russian bladers and the heat makes the ice created by Wolborg melt, and then vaporize. Tala can´t believe his own eyes as the stadium slowly turn misty due to the new dampness in the air. He orders Wolborg to fight it with more ice but it´s futile. Flames are reflected in his Ice blue eyes when tala turns to stare at Kai with something like fear in his orbs. He didn´t expect Kai to have that kind of power. He underestimated him, judged him based on mere assumptions and that might make him lose this battle.

"What gives you all this power!" Tala roars at him through gritted teeth.

Kai stares straight back at him as he feels how his strength increases for every passing second. The need to win, his team mates backing him up and Tyson in his death bed urges him to go beyond his limit. They make him stronger and Kai realizes how wrong he has been. He was always thinking that he could be strong on his own but this kind of power is something totally different. A low gasp leaves his pale lips. How strong would he have gotten if he realized this earlier?

"I´m not fighting for myself this time." Kai tells him boldly after a moment of silence.

Ice-blue eyes narrow dangerously before his expression turns into a grin. This puts Kai out of balance but he is quick to regain his composure. _Why is he grinning?_ Kai focuses on defeating Wolborg but Tala interrupts him with some mental provocations. A technique most bladers find annoying and ruthless.

"Affection, huh?" Tala spits out wide-eyed. "Friendships, relationships…emotions!"

Kai looks at Tala in an eerie silence as he almost loses the control over his indifferent façade. Tala has the ability to feel but he can´t understand emotions that well yet, that is probably why Kai´s new strength angers him. Or is he jealous?

"You sure had it easy to regain your emotions after what happened at the Abbey." Tala tells him bitterly, almost enviously. "You were lucky unlike the rest of us… Or maybe you´re wrong? "

Kai doesn´t like where this conversation is going.

"…You can´t love or feel solidarity, Kai. It´s not in your nature."

Kai´s eyes twitch at Tala´s assumption and the pain in his chest makes him understand how wrong he wants Tala to be. They might have been brought up in the Abbey together, got brainwashed and emptied of all emotions but Kai was able to escape when Voltaire wanted to use him for his personal gain. When meeting the BladeBreakers they all started to evoke emotions inside of him…Tala didn´t get that chance until several years later. _I shouldn´t be feeling guilty… that is exactly what Tala wants me to do. He is still pretending that he knows me…_

"And Tyson is dying, that´s why you left the Blitzkreig Boys right? I can´t understand why you did it. You won´t able to save him anyway right? Toss those feelings away and face me properly!" Tala urges him.

**Beep beep beep beep…**

The feeling of guilt disappears just as quickly as it appeared inside of his heart when Tala mentions Tyson in that manner. All Tala wants is to mess with his head so he can win this match. Kai can´t let himself get fooled that easily again. Tyson isn´t dead yet so why is Tala speaking as if he were? Kai feels how anger starts to take over his being. Tala´s ignorance of feelings will not make him give his opponent a chance to win and he won´t feel guilty until later. Kai feels that he should face Tala again after this battle is over since a feeling tells him Tala is going though something similar to him.

"Tala, stop talking." Kai mutters bitterly.

But Tala doesn´t stop. It looks like he enjoys his control over Kai´s emotions "Didn´t you just use Tyson for your own personal gain all this time?"

Red eyes widen by surprise and anger.

**Beep beep beep **_**be…ep**_

He did use Tyson for his own personal gain when they first met. Tyson was the one with the willpower to win, he was the one with the attitude to bring everyone together…he was the one Kai hid behind when they made their way to who they all are today. Kai has never admitted that before. He used Tyson to get stronger, to achieve power and to beat Voltaire. But during the time Kai hid behind Tyson´s back he was touched by the Japanese man in a way he first couldn´t understand…and it turned into a strange kind of love. Red eyes widen dangerously as Kai regains his balance and focus. He did use him but not anymore. Tala is wrong.

"You used him to climb the ladder of fame when you realized you didn´t have the skills to—"

"SHUT UP!" Kai interrupts him angrily.

Tala looks a little surprised by the sudden outburst from Kai.

"We might have grown up together, suffered the same pain at the Abbey but I´m nothing like you. You don´t know anything about me or my life and if I get to decide you never will!" Kai yells him in the face. "And you know nothing about Tyson. NOTHING! "

Kai throws himself towards Tala, urging Drancer to attack Wolborg. Tala´s eyes narrow as an intense light surrounds him all of a sudden. The light is radiating from Kai and Dranzer with amazing power that throws the other man off balance completely. You can hear how the audience gasp for air and how the BladeBreakers utter Kai´s name with surprise.

A loud crashing sound breaks the silence but no one can see what happened due to the mist surrounding them. The DJ coughs as he tries to understand what happened.

"Tala´s blade was knocked out of the stadium!" DJ Jazzman exclaims. "That means that the BladeBreakers are the winners!"

Kai´s chest moves up and down rapidly as he tries to regain his composure. No matter how little he want to accept it the battle against Tala did make him exhausted both in body and mind. But it´s over now. Kai raises his arm and the cheer from the audience grows stronger._._He gives Tala one last glance before he turns his back towards him and leaves the stage. Tala looks like he is in pain but Kai doesn´t give a damn because he is in a hurry. In a hurry to see Tyson.

**Beeeeeeeeeep….**

* * *

**The** sound of doors shutting can be heard when the Japanese team´s mini-bus reaches the dojo close to midnight. They are all tired but their eagerness to tell the Granger family about their victory is stronger than their need to sleep. Kai smiles weakly as he eagerly opens the door to the Granger dojo without knocking but that smile is wiped off his face as he comes face to face with Hiro in the doorway. The way Hiro won´t even look at him makes Kai aware of that something is wrong. Kai´s heart almost stops beating at the sight of his slightly swollen eyes.

_No…_

"Hiro, we won!" Hilary exclaims from behind Kai. "Did you guys see it?"

"We saw it, you were great." Hiro answers quietly but his smile won´t reach his eyes.

"What´s wrong?" Rei asks as he joins Kai in the doorway.

"Everyone, please enter." Gramps tells them in a monotone voice from inside the hallway. "It´s cold."

Kai eyes moves from Hiro to Gramps to Tyson´s father sitting in the living room as Rei and the others pass him by in the doorway. He knows what happened but he can´t accept it or believe it, not until someone actually confirms it. His hold on their trophy tightens as he joins the others after closing the door behind his back. Everyone except Kai sits down but none of them can relax. Kai is almost hyperventilating. He wants to kill Hiro for being silent.

"We turned his TV on and during your match to make sure he… " Hiro starts in a low voice. "You know, heard it. Nothing happened at first but the sound of battle made his heartbeat unstable … "

Kai feels how the little color he has in the face fades as Hiro´s eyes turn blurry by tears.

"He…. passed away… immediately after DJ Jazzman declared Kai the winner of the third round." Tyson´s father helps Hiro say it. The old man looks tired but no one cares. Tyson´s father has never mattered in Kai´s eyes.

"It was like he was waiting for you to win before he let himself fall sleep." Hiro continues." He is gone, Kai."

Crimson eyes widen in an inhuman manner as reality hits him in the face. The trophy slips through Kai´s fingers and a loud, vibrating sound echoes through the dojo as it hits the floor. The Russian man forgets how to think as he runs past everyone, almost knocking them over, as he makes his way to Tyson´s room. He can´t even see their crying faces because of the turmoil he is in. Everything around him is like a maze: confusing, unclear and unreal. He feels disoriented as he runs down the narrow corridors.

He finds his friend and love lying there in the bed with a calm smile on his pale face and every tiny emotion Kai bottled up during the beyblade battle leaves him in a rush, causing this overflow of emotions._ Is this the feeling of my heart breaking?_ He takes a long, shaky breath as he touch Tyson´s hand carefully. He is so cold and lifeless: the only sign of life is the tear painting a canal on the man´s feeling of Tyson´s skin against his scares him but he forces himself not to flinch. Tyson is still the same even though his spirit has left his body…

And then, Hiwatari Kai cries one litre of tears.

* * *

**AN: OMG the end! …. **

**I hoped you all enjoyed the story ( can you say "Enjoy" when it´s a sad story? ). This was the last chapter. This isn´t a good end, I know that, but there couldn´t be a "good" ending because it would have ruined it. Sorry, there was no cure, no mistake and I felt that saving Tyson would make this story very unrealistic and cliché. Love can´t save you from all things but it will help you a great deal on the way. **

**There´ll be a short epilogue from Rei´s point of view so stay tuned a little longer. **

**Please read and review, I need it! (makes a sad face)**


	21. Epilogue

**AN: It feels so strange to post the chapter to this story. I´ve been working with this for such a long time and at times I thought it would never end. It did today. I know there are a lot of mistakes such as bad grammar and spelling but I still feel that my English has improved a little with the help of this story. **

**Thank you for all your comments and support, I couldn't have written this without you guys. **

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**The** strong wind makes Rei´s long hair float in the air behind him as he climbs the hill on his way to the local shrine. The strong sunlight makes him sweat but the tiger is used to warmth and just wipes it off. The bouquet of colorful flowers in his right hand shields his eyes from the sun as he continues on. There is a Japanese shrine located at the top of the hill. That shrine is the goal of Rei's journey. The wind gets stronger as he climbs higher and the Chinese man is stunned by the beauty of his surroundings as he finally reaches the top. A deep sigh leaves his slightly smiling lips as he looks into the distance far, far away. He can almost see the whole town from here. The sun is setting at the horizon and that's when the golden eyed young man finds what he was looking for.

"Hello there..." Rei murmurs as he kneels down to touch the oblong gravestone.

The Japanese styled gravestone stands tall on the hill and it looks like a grand memorial as it paints a long shadow in the grass as the sun slowly sets. Several beautiful kanji are engraved vertically in the stone, kanji that forms the name of one of the world's most missed beybladers. The smile on Rei's lips fades a little as he reads them. He puts down the bouquet before he lit some incense and put his hands together in a silent prayer. The scent of cherry blossoms linger in the air and mixes together with the incense as his thoughts leads him away from present time.

The BladeBreakers won the championships one year ago which made them the team with members who have won most years in a row. It one year ago Tyson died and their team split up after his funeral to follow their own personal paths for a second time during their career. The funeral was beautiful and calm but also painful. All the bladers the Japanese team met during their years traveling the globe for new adventures were there to show their support and respect to the now dead legend.

A lot has changed since then and not always to the better. Rei can't even understand how much they all have changed since one year ago. Rei decided to return to China since Japan brought him too many painful memories at the time. He hung out with the White Tiger X team and managed to accept the pain after months of grieving. That´s just how life goes and just because he died doesn't mean he's lost. Tyson wouldn´t want him to mourn all his life, Rei knew that so he turned his sadness into strength and started to teach Beyblade to the youngsters in the village. He was the member that managed the pain the best.

Max moved to live with his mother in the US in a way to ignore that anything happened at all. His father was against this but couldn't stop the blond man from boarding that plan. Rei heard from Judy that Max still snaps every time he accidentally sees his tattoo. He is still not the same. He lost his youth just like that. Max has come up with a facade that let's him seem ok on the outside even though his mind is in turmoil all the time. They were best friends, he and Tyson, and Rei can understand why Max can't accept his death quickly but he is making himself sick. It's not right to live this way when all Tyson wanted was for them to be happy.

Kenny and Emily got together soon after the competition and the two of them started to work at a laboratory under Judy's rule together. They have founded their own company and creates high-tech beyblades as a team. Tyson's death made Kenny finally grow up and become a man. The guy he always followed around died and he had to mange life on his own. He had a hard time accepting it and he cried himself to sleep for months. He has become a respectable man with a girlfriend, a well paying job and a future. Rei can't help but smile at this. Kenny isn't that nerdy weak guy anymore. Sure, he is still a nerd but making a living out of that isn't something to disrespect at all.

Daichi has become a famous DJ and made DJ Jazzman proud when the older man decided to quit his job to focus on his family. The former DJ became a father figure for Daichi when he couldn't pay his respect at his biological father's grave at home at times. Instead of being sad, Daichi got even more angry over Tyson's death than he was before. He blamed Tyson for everything and nothing before he calmed down and accepted the fact that Tyson will never yell back at him as he did in the past.

Hilary is the star everyone sees when they visit the cinema. She said one time that she uses the experience of losing a loved one to act because she thought that was a proper way of showing Tyson her respect. Rei doesn't know if it's true since he hasn't been able to keep in touch with her due to her hectic schedule but her acting has improved a lot lately.

Rei chuckles as he sits down near the gravestone, he has been telling Tyson about everyone's lives out loud. The shrine is so empty so his gentle voice bounces back and forth between the walls and memorials there. His gentle smile fades slowly as it's time to tell Tyson about Kai. Rei turns quiet as he is lost in his thoughts.

...Kai just disappeared after the funeral and no one has heard of him since. The Russian man was like a corpse himself when the ceremony was held. He sat there in the back row dressed in a black suit and didn't make a sound until it was his turn to speak at the altar. Everyone turned deadly quiet as it was the Russian man's turn to speak because no one knew what to expect.

"_As we all...know... Tyson... passed away." _He started slowly, as if he hurts for each word he pronounced.

"_He was a blader that always put his nose in other people's business. I guess it angered most of us but in the end, we'd realize he did us a favor. Tyson was more than a blader, he was a rival, a friend and a fighter until the end."_

"_He died due to a cruel disease eating him inside out...an end he didn't chose himself. __He will be greatly missed... but never forgotten. Beyblade won't be the same without him."_

It wasn't a great speech, it wasn't anything extraordinary about it, but Rei understood that Kai was fighting his feelings when he stood there in front of his lover's coffin while knowing that he has to control himself from talking about his love for the man. It must be heart wrenching to not be able to express your sorrow like that but that's what Tyson wanted, not to ruin Kai's future by telling the truth about their relationship.

No one knows where Kai went after the funeral but rumors said that he and the Blitzkreig Boys disappeared into the snowfields of Siberia to either train or find themselves in this forever changing world. No one has been able to contact Hiwatari since then, not even Rei and the others. The only sign of him being alive is that Bryan, together with some shady man in a cloak, was spotted at some bar in St Petersburg three months ago. That could have been Kai but he has never liked crowded places like bars before...

The sound of birds grows louder as it's getting darker. Rei sighs loudly as he thinks about what has become of the famous team The BladeBreakers. He hates the fact that they just split up like that. He thought the bond keeping them together was stronger than that. It pains him that a group of close friends would act like strangers because of the death of Tyson. That is not what the champion would have wanted. It feels like all of them stuck together because of Tyson and that there's no reason to stay friends when he is gone. Rei runs his fingers through his hair as another sigh leaves his lips. When he looks back he can actually say that the team was falling apart even before Tyson got sick. Everyone wanted to pursue their own dreams but got to put them on the shelf while staying close to Tyson when he was fighting for his life. They couldn't leave when he needed them the most. _Did we stay together that long only because of Tyson? Is that why we split up this easily after he passed away? _Rei's chest hurts and he has to fight his inner turmoil to not start crying in front of his Japanese friend. He can't do that, because he doesn't want to come off as sad and depressed when visiting Tyson. Tyson deserves better than someone weeping on his grave.

Rei closes his eyes and tries to regain his calm posture. He open his eyes again. He can't help but feel disappointed by the lack of flowers on Tyson's grave. Sure, a lot of fans showed their gratitude at the memorial in town since they don't know of his true location but ...still. Kenny said he was busy and couldn't make it because of work, Max ignored Rei's calls, Daichi hung up angrily and Hilary also said she was too busy and that she would pay her respect later. He couldn't contact Kai at all so he gave up. Rei doesn't like giving up but he can't force them to care because it's too tiering. Rei gets up in his feet and suddenly his cat eyes narrow as he notice something from the corner of his eye and he realizes something very important.

Kai has already been here.

A broad grin grows on Rei's lips as he falls down on his knees next to the gravestone again. His eyes are fixed on the token of pain his old mate has left near Tyson's grave. Rei curses himself for not seeing it before. A small but blood red feather is resting in the grass next to the stone. Tears pour down Rei's cheeks. All the pain Rei put Kai through by forcing him to be true to his feelings wasn't in vain after all.

Kai has been carrying Tyson along with him for all this time yet payed his respect at the anniversary of his death. Many thought that Kai would go insane with all the power he is now wielding since Tyson requested that he would be the bearer of Dragoon until the bit beast itself chose a new beybalder but Kai did not lose himself. Not again. Kai has always been a person that strives for perfection and power yet he has learned how far he can go to achieve it. He is now a blader with two bit beasts yet he doesn't misuse that power, that tells of his growth as a person.

Rei knows that if he wants his team to get together again he needs to find Kai first. He will understand and make everything alright again. Just the fact that Kai actually came here to Japan all the way from somewhere in Russia makes Rei believe that there still is hope.

There is hope!

* * *

**AN: Thank you guys for reading this far! One of my biggest projects are finally over~! I feel so refreshed and relieved after completing this story. And all I wanna do is to start new projects. I know I shouldn't since I already have many unfinished stories but I can't help it.**

**Feel free to leave a review and continue to read my other stories in the future! **

**Thegoldenlock**


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